


Never Let Me Go

by FaileGaidin



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010), Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Attempted Rape, Background Character Death, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-26
Updated: 2012-08-27
Packaged: 2017-11-12 23:31:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/496878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaileGaidin/pseuds/FaileGaidin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve McGarrett and Liz Weir have been friends for years. When she moves to Hawaii for a teaching position, they have a chance to make their friendship even stronger. As their feelings for each other deepen, though, Steve's greatest enemy makes his move.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The biggest of all shoutouts has to go to citymusings, for editing this thing last minute. Seriously, hun, this could not have been done without you. 
> 
> Mentions of other SGA characters, but the focus in this story is Elizabeth Weir and Steve McGarrett.
> 
>  
> 
> You can see the beautiful accompanying artwork here: [Never Let Me Go, by overcastclouds](http://archiveofourown.org/works/492432).

Danny almost jumped out of his skin when he heard his partner answer his phone with actual fucking _glee_. His head snapped around to stare at Steve as the man talked animatedly, eyes still on the road. At least he wasn’t going to drive them into a phone poll or off of a pier, but it was still unsettling to hear the man happy.

“Liz!” he exclaimed as he answered the phone. “How are you?...What?...You’re kidding!...Yeah, of course...”He glanced over at Danny. “Is it okay if I bring someone?...My partner...Police partner, Liz. You’ve got a dirty mind...Yeah, we’ll be there in twenty. See you then. Bye.”

Danny tried to wait patiently, but instead of explaining, Steve just calmly got onto the highway and started heading east. Danny stared at him, willing some kind of response. None came.

“Who the hell was that?” he finally exclaimed.

Steve looked startled at his outburst. “What? Just an old friend.”

He didn’t seem like he was going to say anything more, and Danny felt his irritation grow. “Old friend? Are we talking Cath old friend, or Bullfrog old friend?”

He saw Steve clench his jaw and knew he had struck a nerve. Danny hadn’t wanted to piss him off, but he realized that he was irrationally annoyed that Steve had someone in his life that made him smile like that and _hadn’t shared_.

“I’m sorry,” Danny said quickly. “That was below the belt.”

Steve cleared his throat, obviously trying to push down whatever feelings he was having. “I’ve known Liz since just after graduating from the Academy.” He flicked his eyes toward Danny. “She’s, uh...she’s my oldest friend.”

Danny’s eyebrows tried to climb their way into his hairline. “You have a best friend and you didn’t tell me?” 

“You jealous?”

Danny scoffed. “Just amazed that someone else could put up with your crazy ninja ass.”

He could feel Steve sneaking a few glances his way, but he refused to look over at him. The silence became heavy.

“You know you’re my best friend, right, Danny?” Steve finally asked, his voice quiet.

Danny opened his mouth for the automatic sarcastic retort, but when he looked over at his friend, the words stuck in his throat. He could tell from Steve’s face that the answer was important to him. Looking back at the road, he nodded. 

“Yeah, babe. I know.”

* * *

Liz turned out to be a best friend, too. Danny put that one together after less than five minutes with the two of them, and he couldn’t help but stare at Steve in disbelief. All jokes aside, Steve was not someone who did interpersonal communication well. He didn’t like to talk about his feelings, or his past, or the things that made him tick. He was the kind of guy that was always there when his friends needed him, but didn’t think it was okay for him to ever need his friends in return. And now Danny was finding out that he had _another_ best friend. This was someone he had kept in contact with for more than ten years, and it wasn’t just a casual acquaintance thing, either. 

Steve even _hugged_ her for God’s sake, and he looked like he didn’t want to let go. Danny felt like his entire world was off-kilter.

Danny had to admit that Elizabeth Weir was one hell of a woman, though, and he instantly liked her. A former international diplomat by trade, she had gotten out of the business and still hadn’t figured out what exactly her next steps would be. A conference in Hawaii had piqued her interest, and since she had nothing better to do and knew that Steve was on the island, she had flown out for the week. 

“I never thought I’d see the day,” Steve said. “Negotiations were always your thing, Liz. I can’t believe you walked away from it.”

Her smile didn’t crumble, but it trembled. “We lost John,” she whispered.

Danny had no idea who that was, but the pain in her voice was so heavy it made his eyes suddenly fill. Steve’s jaw dropped and he reached out to place his hand on hers, the gesture seemingly natural despite the fact that Danny had never seen him like that with anyone else before.

“Oh, Liz,” he murmured. “Why didn’t you call me?”

She shook her head. “You were busy.”

“Busy? I’m never too busy for you. You know that.”

Despite the tears in her eyes, she gave him a pointed look. “You were. Apparently they don’t let you keep your cell phone on you while you’re in prison.”

Steve’s eyes slid shut as he let out a quiet sigh. Danny felt for his friend. Steve never talked about his time in prison, falsely accused of killing the governor, but he knew that it ate at him sometimes. And now he was finding out that someone he cared about had needed him then and come up empty-handed. It was guilt he didn’t need. 

Leaning forward, Danny tried to keep his voice light, but firm. “Not exactly his fault, though.”

“Oh, I know,” Liz said, and Danny could see that she meant it. “I’m not...God, Steve, there was nothing you could have done. It was just...it was too much for me. You know what John...what he meant to me. I needed a break.”

Opening his eyes, Steve squeezed her hand and leaned back in his seat again. “Hawaii’s a good place to do that.”

Her smile was back, even though her eyes were still wet. “I can see that. I’m glad the conference won’t eat up all of my time. I’m thinking I have a date with the beach and a good book.”

“And me,” he said, his voice not leaving any room for argument. “If you’re here for a week, you’re stuck having dinner with me at least a few times.”

“Well, duh,” she retorted. “You think I’m paying to eat out every night?”

Steve chuckled, but Danny could let that slip past him. “Just make sure he has his wallet, okay? He might be a super SEAL, but he manages to leave it behind more often than not.”

“Still pulling that one, huh?” she asked, looking over at Steve, who had the good graces to look slightly embarrassed. “Well, at least now I know I’m not the only one he does it to.”

“Definitely not,” Danny assured her. “This is why I usually make him cook these days. Then I bring the beer and I figure we’re at least almost even, you know?”

“Looks like your team’s got your number, Steve.”

Steve laughed and nodded. “Yeah, that they do.” He paused slightly. “You should meet them. The team.”

“I would love to.”

“Not to mention that Kono will jump all over the chance to get some embarrassing stories on the boss here. Please tell me you have embarrassing stories,” Danny said.

“Oh, I’ve got a couple,” Liz smirked. “Mostly concerning his ineptitude with women.” 

“Excuse me?” Danny asked. “You’re telling me that Smooth Dog, aka, Tall, Dark, and Handsome here, has trouble with the fairer sex?”

“Let’s just he’s lucky he’s hot.”

Steve scratched at the side of his face, the tips of his ears turning pink. “I am seriously rethinking my decision to introduce the two of you.”

“This, babe?” Danny asked. “This is practically harmless. Just wait until she and Kono get together.”

“Oh, God.”

Danny grinned. “This is going to be wonderful. I can just feel it.”

* * *

Steve managed to keep quiet for a whole three minutes into the car ride back to headquarters. 

“Out with it.”

Danny looked over at him, his face the absolute epitome of innocence. “Out with what?”

Steve wasn’t buying it. “You actually say a whole lot when your mouth isn’t moving, Danny. You’ve obviously got some opinions on Liz and if you don’t let them out soon, you’re just going to explode anyway. So...out with it.”

He shrugged. “I like her.”

“And?”

“And what? She seems like a wonderful woman, Steven. Way out of your league, of course.” He paused. “I’ve, uh...I’ve never seen you so _happy_ before.”

Steve gave a half-shrug. “Liz means a lot to me.”

“Obviously. Which brings me to my question.”

“I knew there had to be one.”

“Why haven’t I heard about her before? Why would you keep someone so important to you a secret?”

“She’s not a secret, Danny.”

“Well, no, not anymore. But you never mentioned her, Steve. Not even once.”

Steve was quiet for a while, but Danny just waited him out, looking over at him from time to time. 

“I don’t have a reason,” he finally said, his voice low. “I just...I don’t know.”

Danny decided to let that go. “You talk to her a lot?”

“At least once a week.” He sighed. “Except for when I was in prison. Dammit! I can’t believe I didn’t know about John.”

“I, uh...I get the feeling there’s a story there.”

“He’s the...he _was_ the head of Liz’s security. Wherever she went, John went, too. Good man.”

“You knew him?”

“I met him when Liz came out for my dad’s funeral.”

Danny thought his eyes were going to bug out of his head at that one, but he decided that now was not the time to follow that particular thought. 

“So they were close?”

Steve nodded. “I got the feeling they meant a lot to each other. A lot more than just colleagues. Liz would never admit it, of course. Neither would John. I saw the way he looked at her, though. They were...they were good for each other. It must have devastated her to lose him.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I know that -”

“No, I mean that being in prison and not being able to go to the funeral, or go comfort your friend, was _not your fault_. I know you feel bad about it. But Liz is here now, and you can be there for her now. Beating yourself up about it isn’t going to do her any good, and you know that.”

Steve didn’t say anything, but the stiff half-nod he gave was enough for Danny. He knew that guilt was just part of the way his partner operated. If he could mitigate even just a little bit of it, it was worth the effort. 

“So, uh...you and Liz...”

“Yeah?”

“You, uh...the two of you...”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Just spit it out, Danny, whatever it is.”

“I’m not sure I know of an inoffensive way to ask this.”

“Since when has that stopped you?”

“Okay, that is a valid point. But I would really rather you didn’t punch me in the face. I get the very distinct feeling that that would be an unpleasant experience.” He took a deep breath. “I know that you’ve known her for years and years and she’s your BFF and all, but, um...is she a friend with particular benefits?”

Steve gave him an incredulous look. “Excuse me?”

Danny held up both hands. “I am simply wondering if she’s a friend like Cath is a friend. I am not judging, Steven. I just feel like all of a sudden there is this whole part of your life that I never knew existed and I’m trying to get a handle on it. Please do not crash the car. If you’re going to throttle me or punch me in the face, please pull over and place the car in park first.”

There were seven tense seconds where Steve’s nostrils flared and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. 

“I’m not going to hit you,” he said finally. “I just...I wasn’t expecting the question.”

“You can tell me that it’s none of my business, babe.”

“Liz and I are friends. She means the world to me.” He sighed. “We’ve never slept together. It’s never been like that between us.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“I mean, that’s understandable, since, like I said earlier, she is so completely out of your league. But I have to admit that I’m a little surprised, too. Male and female counterparts as attractive as the two of you are - do not let that go to your head, Steven - rarely manage to stay close friends without sex. Especially when they’re not committed to someone else.”

“Like I said, it’s never been like that between me and Liz.”

“Fair enough,” Danny replied, thinking back to the way his friend’s face had positively _lit up_ at the sight of Liz, and the way he had hugged her back like she was the only thing keeping him from drowning. 

Contrary to popular belief, Danny Williams did know how to keep his mouth shut once in a while and bide his time.

“That’s twice today you’ve appreciated my looks,” Steve noted, his face completely straight.

Danny sighed and shook his head.


	2. Chapter 2

For the next five days, it seemed as though Steve did nothing but hang out with Liz. Danny had never before seen his friend rush out of the office at the end of the day like a kid waiting to go to the park. He would throw a hurried goodbye to the rest of the team and then disappear. The next morning he would pick Danny up at his apartment with a smile on his face and two coffees ready to go, like he didn’t have a care in the world. 

Danny secretly wondered if his partner had been taken over by a pod person. 

“Alright,” Kono said finally, stalking into his office and shutting the door, “spill.”

Danny decided to forego acting dumb - it never worked with Kono anyway. “He has a friend.”

Her eyes narrowed. “A friend?”

“Yes. A friend. I’m sure you’ve heard of them, Kono. You’ve even been known to have a couple of them yourself.”

“Wait...you mean she’s actually a friend? Not a... _friend_?”

“A friend. As in, someone he knows that he enjoys spending time with, and does not have sex with. A friend.”

Her expression only seemed to grow more troubled as she sat down in a chair facing his desk. “What’s the catch?”

Danny chuckled. “You’re very suspicious.”

“Please, if our positions were reversed, you’d be freaking out. You’re just calm because you know the story. Which you should be sharing, since, you know, we’re friends.”

“Touche, padawan.” Danny leaned back in his chair and smiled at his teammate. “And normally, I would share the story with you. But you’re actually going to get the chance to meet her tonight.”

Kono’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”

“Yep. Steve just sent me a text that Liz is joining us all for the dinner he promised us tonight. So you’ll get to meet her and grill her for any information you want.”

“Yeah, but will she actually share?”

“I think she’d love to share some embarrassing stories with you.”

“So you’ve met her?

Danny nodded. “Elizabeth Weir. Former international negotiator and apparently Steve’s oldest friend.”

Kono looked at him for a long moment. “You like her.”

“I do. I think she’s good for him.” He paused. “Plus, anyone who can supply us with extra ammo against McGarrett gets an advantage in my book, you know?”

She rolled her eyes. “You two are so married.”

“Just wait until you meet Liz. Your head will spin.”

“Can’t wait.” Kono turned her head to look out the window. “Think you could give me a ride? To Steve’s, I mean.”

“What’s wrong with your car?”

She shrugged. “It’s just acting up,” she said vaguely. “I had Chin drive me in this morning, but he went out to get Malia.”

“Acting up? Please tell me you’ll take it to a mechanic before it blows up or something.”

She gave him a playful smile. “Worried about me, Williams?”

Danny snorted. “I just don’t want to deal with your paperwork.” Kono scowled at him and he laughed. “Of course I’ll drive you. You almost ready to go?”

“Give me five minutes?”

He clapped his hands. “Chop, chop, then! I am hungry and I am so very done with this accident report.”

Kono grinned and ran back to her office.

* * *

Kono’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped. She had to set down her beer. “He actually _said_ that!?”

Liz held up one hand. “I swear to God. I was only standing a few feet away.”

“Did she slap him?”

“I actually thought she was going to throw her drink at him.” She looked over at Steve. “You ended up going home with her, didn’t you?”

He didn’t look at her, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t remember.”

“Liar.”

Danny stared at him in disbelief. “You continue to prove that the universe is a fucking joke, McGarrett. You should not be able to say things like that and still get laid!”

“I didn’t realize what I’d said!” Steve exclaimed. “Liz had to explain to me later.”

“Oh my God, boss,” Kono said, laughing as she shook her head, “you really are hopeless.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not that bad,” he muttered.

“Please,” Danny said. “You get laid because women take one look at you and decide that they want you in their bed, regardless of anything else. I’m actually not sure if that makes things better or worse. Either way, I hate you.

“Jealous, Danny?” Chin asked slyly.

Kono snorted. “Right, because women don’t check him out constantly.”

“Are you kidding me?” Danny asked. He waved a disgusted hand at Steve. “I can’t get a woman to give me the time of day with this Neanderthal around.”

“Strange, since there are at least three lab techs and two assistants in the M.E.’s office who undress you with their eyes every time you show up.”

“Excuse me?”

“And why exactly would you notice that, cuz?” Chin asked. “Worried about protecting your territory?”

She blushed, but her retort was immediate. “Hey, somebody’s gotta make sure you guys don’t walk out the door with the first woman who shows interest. I just like to keep an eye out for anyone that I might have to make sure gets shown the door.”

“Kono Kalakaua,” Danny said, “did you just admit to being a cockblocker?”

The table erupted in laughter.

* * *

“Your team is great,” Liz said quietly as they stood at the sink after everyone had left. She washed the dishes and handed them over to him to dry. “I had a really great time tonight.”

Steve looked over at her and knew that she meant every word. He may not have seen her in a couple of years, but things always fell right back into place for them. He knew her, and he knew that she knew him. And the warm feeling he had gotten in the pit of his stomach watching her bond and interact with his team made him wish that he didn’t have to drive her to the airport in the morning. 

“I have a question for you,” she said slowly, focusing all of her attention on the dish in her hands. “And I need you to answer it honestly.”

He gave a small nod, refraining from reminding her that he was always honest with her. “Okay.”

She took a deep breath. “How would you feel about me maybe moving to Hawaii?”

That had been the last thing he would have expected her to ask, and he stared at her in disbelief. “Really?” 

Liz risked a glance over at him, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I got offered a job at the university,” she explained. “They want me to teach an international relations class. I’d like to accept.” She paused. “I just want to make sure you’re okay with it.”

Steve frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

She shrugged. “This is your home. Your island. You’re my best friend, Steve, but we’ve never really lived in the same place for very long. I didn’t...I didn’t want to intrude. On your life.”

“Liz...you’re a _part_ of my life. I’d be thrilled to have you here.”

“Really?”

“Really,” he said firmly. He watched her closely for a moment. “You were nervous.”

Liz gave a small shrug. “Well, there was a chance you wouldn’t want me here tormenting you and sharing stories with your new family.”

Steve chuckled. “That ship has already sailed. I saw you exchange numbers with Kono. I’m doomed as far as that goes.”

She nodded. “That’s very true.”

They were quiet for a few minutes as they finished the dishes and then she turned to face him, drying her hands on the towel. 

“You still flying out tomorrow?” he asked.

“I have to go home and pack. The job starts in a week, though, so...” She took a deep breath. “There’s a lot to do. I’m going to try and be back here by Friday. I’ll get a hotel room for now. Do you know any that are good for longer stays...” She trailed off at the look on his face. “What?”

“Why would you get a hotel?”

“Because I don’t have time to find an apartment?”

“So stay here.”

Liz seemed to pull back slightly. “What?”

Steve shrugged. “Stay here. There’s no reason for you to stay in a hotel or worry about finding a place while you’re trying to get settled. I’ve got the room here, and it’s probably way more comfortable than one of the extended stay places.”

“You’re sure you wouldn’t mind?” she asked cautiously.

“I wouldn’t have offered if I did,” he pointed out. “Danny even stayed here for a few weeks when he was between apartments. And there’s no way you can be a worse roommate than him.”

She gave him a playful smile. “You say that now.”

“Remember that I know you, Liz. You’re a neat freak, too. Except when you’re upset. In which case I’ll bend my rules and we’ll have pizza and malasadas and hang out on the couch. Just don’t tell Danny. He’ll never let me hear the end of it.”

“Watch it, McGarrett...you’re starting to sound like the perfect girlfriend.”

His face blanched. “I couldn’t be the perfect boyfriend instead?”

“Not unless you’re offering comfort sex.” She raised an eyebrow. “Are you offering comfort sex?”

He gave a somewhat nervous chuckle. “Not at the present moment.”

“Well you keep me apprised.” 

“Will do.”

* * *

The click of the camera sounded loud in the darkness, but the two people standing inside the kitchen couldn’t hear it. He had wanted to get pictures earlier, of the entire group gathered together, but the daylight made it impossible. Tailing them was difficult enough, and his client already knew about the coworkers.

This brunette from the mainland, though, she was new. McGarrett seemed to know her well. They had had dinner almost every night for the past week, and though he hadn’t seen any evidence that they were lovers, it didn’t take much to see that they were important to one another. He used the camera’s expensive lens to zoom in even closer, making sure to get some good face shots of her, as well as a few of the way McGarrett looked at her. In his line of work, it was always important to make sure that there was ample evidence.

The client wanted weak spots for McGarrett, and that just happened to be his specialty. And already he had found four potential targets. He knew which one he would choose to work with, but the client didn’t want suggestions. He wanted the pictures and the evidence and then he would make up his own mind. 

Taking one more picture, he packed the camera away and then focused on his surroundings, making sure to erase every trace that he had ever been there. Once he was satisfied, he slipped away into the darkness, reveling in the thrill of being invisible.


	3. Chapter 3

Kono slipped into Danny’s office, giving him a hard look after shutting the door behind her. “I thought you said Liz was just a normal kind of friend.”

Danny waved expansively. “Yes, Kono, please, come into my office and make yourself at home. It’s not like being a police officer and McGarrett’s partner generates a lot of work or anything.”

Her expression didn’t soften as she sat in the chair across from him. “Dude.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, I said that. And no, I wasn’t lying to you.”

“Seriously? Have you seen him over the past couple of days? He’s practically bouncing on his heels. He’s way more nervous and excited than he should be over just a friend.”

Danny set down his pen and leaned back in his chair. “Honestly...I think Liz means even more to him than he realizes. She’s known him for years, you know? And she hasn’t abandoned him like everyone else in his life.”

Kono was quiet for a moment. “Do you think he’s afraid?” she asked quietly, like she didn’t like the taste of the words coming out of her mouth. “That her living here might not work out?”

Danny didn’t really want to speculate on the deep-seated fears of his best friend. It felt a little like a violation of his trust. “I think that Steve is always prepared for and expecting the worst case scenario.”

“And what do you think?”

“Me? I think these crazy kids might actually be the best thing to ever happen to each other.”

Kono smirked at him. “You’re such a romantic, Williams.”

“You don’t even know the half of it, Kalakaua. If I turned on the charm, you wouldn’t know what hit you.”

“That almost sounds like a promise.”

Danny coughed, unsuccessfully fighting back a blush. “I’m starting to think you do that on purpose.”

“Make you uncomfortable?” She gave him a wicked grin. “Absolutely.” Relaxing more into the chair, her smile turned friendly. “You going to the airport with him tomorrow?”

“Nope. I’m making him be a big boy and handle it all on his own.”

She snorted. “No wonder he’s a big ball of nerves.”

“He’ll live.”

This time it was her turn to roll her eyes before changing the subject. “You got Grace this weekend?”

Danny’s smile widened. “I do indeed.”

“So we’re still on for her surfing lesson?”

“Of course.”

“Cool.” Kono paused. “Maybe I’ll treat you guys to some shave ice after.”

“Far be it from me to turn down a beautiful woman offering free food,” Danny replied. “And Grace loves spending time with you.”

Kono’s blush matched his earlier one. “Good,” she said, nodding. “Good.”

* * *

Steve managed to keep himself from pacing in front of the arrivals board, but he couldn’t help bouncing on his toes a little. He knew that it was either that or standing there stoically, arms locked tightly across his chest and every muscle tense. He was wearing his badge, though, and he didn’t want to scare any civilians. He liked to think that maybe Danny would be at least a little proud of him for that one.

Liz’s flight was on-time, and he watched her descend the escalator toward baggage claim. A part of him had been waiting all week for the other shoe to drop. Even as he tried to focus on 5-0’s work, Steve worried that something would fall through and she wouldn’t move to Hawaii after all. He may have spent most of his adult life alone, but his team had changed that. Even though he had tried to guard himself in the beginning, Danny and Kono and Chin and Grace had made themselves permanent fixtures in his heart and in his life. Liz coming to Hawaii extended that family and he was looking forward to having someone around who knew him so well.

He tried to ignore the voice in his head that told him he didn’t get to keep good things and that there was too much happiness in his life for it to last.

Forcing those dark thoughts away, he smiled as Liz got off of the escalator and headed straight for him. Just like she always did, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly, breathing him in. 

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

She pulled back slightly, but he kept his hands on her waist. 

“How was your flight?” he asked.

Liz shrugged. “Long. But it’s over now and I don’t start work for another couple of days. I expect you to treat me to food and sun and sand.”

Steve chuckled. “I think I can do that. Come on, let’s get your bags.”

They fell into their usual and comfortable roles as they waited at the baggage claim, Steve scooping up her two suitcases when she pointed them out. The weather outside was beautiful and Liz stopped for a moment on their way to the parking garage.

“You okay?” Steve asked, concerned that maybe she wasn’t ready for the move.

But Liz just smiled and nodded. “I could get used to this.”

“Hawaii tends to have that affect on people.”

“Danny seems to find a way to complain about it more often than not.”

Steve grimaced. “Special case.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, he’s a professional pain in the ass.”

“You always did pick interesting people to be friends with.”

“I picked you, didn’t I?”

Liz smirked. “Actually, I think it was the other way around, sailor.”

Steve rolled his eyes as they entered the shade of the garage. “I don’t know if I can handle you and Danny both.”

“Don’t forget Kono,” she warned.

He groaned.


	4. Chapter 4

Liz woke suddenly, eyes snapping open in the darkness as her breath caught in her throat. She wasn’t sure what had woken her up. Pushing herself up into a sitting position, she listened carefully, trying to detect if there was something wrong in the house. When she didn’t hear anything, she let out a long sigh, but her body refused to relax. Frowning, she slipped out of bed and padded out into the hall, moving quietly.

There was no one downstairs, but that didn’t ease her discomfort at all. Standing in the living room, she listened to the quiet crash of the waves on the beach for a minute until she realized that there was someone out there on the lanai. She recognized his figure almost immediately, and she went out to join him.

“Steve?” she said carefully, coming up behind him. “Are you okay?”

He was sitting in the sand just past the grill, knees pulled up to his chest. He looked up at her as though he had known all along that she was there, and she wouldn’t have been surprised if that were the case. 

“Did I wake you?” 

Liz shook her head. “No.” She wasn’t really sure if that was a lie or not. “Do you want me to leave you alone?”

Steve shrugged. “You can stay if you want.”

She moved up next to him and then settled down in the sand, mirroring his pose. She sat close enough that their arms brushed against one another, and she took comfort in the steadiness of his breathing.

“Rough day?” she asked finally, staring out at the water and the dark.

“We closed a case.”

“That’s usually a good thing. How bad was the case?”

“It wasn’t pretty.”

She turned to look at him, taking in his profile, the tension along his jawline. “Kids?” she said quietly.

He didn’t look at her, but he nodded. “Kids.”

“How’s Danny doing?”

Looking down, Steve kicked at the sand a little with his toe. “He was holding it together. Went to Rachel’s after work so he could hug Grace.”

“Understandable.”

Steve just nodded.

“What about you?”

“What about me?” He seemed annoyed by the question.

“How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine. I don’t have kids.”

“Steve.”

“What?”

She placed her hand on his forearm. “Rough cases are allowed to get to you. It comes with the job.”

“I’m fine.”

Liz only barely kept herself from rolling her eyes. She knew that sometimes he got like this, feeling like he had to keep everything bottled inside. It was a combination of the hardships he’d endured as a kid, the way his dad had raised him, the way the navy had trained him, and just who he was. She wished that he would just let go sometimes and say what he was really feeling, but at the same time, she had an idea of just how much that would cost him. 

“Okay,” she sighed. “I mean, you’re full of shit, but okay.”

Steve did a double-take at that and then started to laugh. He couldn’t help it. His shoulders were shaking and he leaned into her a little. Liz joined in, her hand eventually leaving his arm and finding its way into the way at the back of his neck. When the laughter subsided, she kept her fingers moving gently.

“Thanks,” he murmured.

“Anytime, you know that. You should come in and get some sleep.”

He nodded. “Yeah, probably.”

Steve pushed himself to his feet and turned to her, extending his hands. Liz gladly accepted the help, getting up onto her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.

“It’s okay not to be okay sometimes.”

“I’m okay now,” he assured her.

“Let me know if that changes?”

“I can promise to try.”

“I’ll take what I can get.”

* * *

Liz gave a happy sigh as she stared out the window of the kitchen, finishing up the dishes. It hadn’t taken her long to decide that Hawaii agreed with her. It was so beautiful that it was actually mind-boggling. Sometimes she felt like she had stepped into one of those vacation commercials and just never left. She’d had six months of perfect weather and gorgeous beaches, and she didn’t think she could ever go back to the mainland.

And then there was Steve. Though they had been friends for more than a decade, it wasn’t often that they got to spend significant time with each other. They’d meet up in passing or talk on the phone, but for the most part, life kept them apart. Now they were sharing a house and sharing meals and sharing their _lives_. 

She had to admit that she loved it.

Sure, there were things they both had to adjust to. Steve wasn’t used to sharing his house with anyone, and he was used to everything being done his way. He’d almost had a coronary the first time she took a shower and it wasn’t under three minutes. Or five. Or even fifteen. She’d refused to budge on that one, maintaining that he saved enough water for the both of them with his economical showering practices. He just stared at her and asked what the hell she could possibly do in the shower for twenty-four minutes?

Liz had smirked at him and kept silent. 

And Steve’s cooking habits...well, he certainly liked to eat healthier than every other person she’d ever met, and she suspected that he could survive on nuts, dried fruit, and water for extended periods of time. And though she liked to be careful about what she ate, Liz wasn’t about to take all the fun out of her food. Shopping was a big compromise for both of them.

All in all, it was going well. She knew that she had made the right decision in taking the job and moving. John was gone, and though that still caused her pain every day, she had a life to live. And without even realizing it, Steve was helping those wounds to heal over.

She hoped that she was able to do the same for him. 

It was obvious - to her at least, and she suspected to his team as well - that Steve was hurting. The death of his father had hit him harder than he was willing to admit, and she didn’t think he had properly grieved yet. She didn’t know if he ever would. On bad days he would go quiet and throw himself into work, like catching the bad guys would make up for every missed opportunity with his father. On so-so days, he would hole up in the garage with that car and tinker the day away.

Like today.  

Sometimes she tried to leave him alone, knowing that that was how he was used to dealing with things. But she didn’t want him to be used to living that way anymore. He had amazing friends who loved him, herself included.   

Reaching into the fridge, she pulled out two beers and headed for the garage.   

Steve was half-buried in the engine and for a minute Liz just leaned against the door and watched him. She could see just enough of his face to know that he was frowning at whatever he was seeing. Danny liked to complain that his partner had no idea what he was doing under the hood and that he was endangering all of them every time he forced someone to come out on a test drive with him.   She and Danny both knew why getting the car to run properly meant so much to Steve.  So Danny ranted, both for his own satisfaction and because it was what he was supposed to do, and Liz just quietly supported. There were times, though, when she wondered if maybe Steve was dragging his heels with the repairs because of how much he needed to finish them.   

“Hey, sailor,” she called out. “Anyone ever tell you you’ve got a cute butt?”  

She wasn’t sure if it was her words or her voice that startled him, but Steve jumped, banging the back of his head up into the hood. Rubbing at the spot, he extricated himself and turned around to face her completely.  

“You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

  Liz shrugged. “Helps that it was the truth, too.”  

“You like my butt?”  

She handed him one of the beers and made a so-so gesture with her now-free hand. “It’s not quite as amazing as Danny’s, but I can still appreciate it.”  

Steve was mid-sip and coughed suddenly. “Really? Danny?”

  “I’m not saying I’m interested,” she replied, leaning back against the car. “I’m just saying that I can be appreciative of good things.” She paused. “Actually, everyone you work with is ridiculously attractive. How do you stand it?”  

“You say that like you don’t just as easily fit into that category.”  

“Steven McGarrett...did you just admit that you find me attractive?”  

He gave her a hard glare, but there was no denying the blush that was creeping up his neck. “Geez, Liz...I’m not blind.”  

Laughing, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. His eyes widened at the gesture, prompting more laughter. “Thank you.”  

“For what?”  

“Every now and then a woman likes to be told that she’s pretty. I know you’re not very good with the opposite sex, but you should at least know that.”  

“I’m not that bad,” he muttered into his beer. “And I’ve always known you’re beautiful.”  

“You’re lucky you’re hot,” she teased. “Though that does beg the question...how has Steve McGarrett managed to not be scooped up by some wonderful woman yet?”  

He chuckled, but there wasn’t really any humor behind it. “I’m not exactly a prize catch, Liz.” He gestured at the car. “Baggage, among other things.”  

Not joking anymore, Liz took a hold of Steve’s chin and forced him to look at her. “Don’t you ever let anyone tell you that you’re not good enough,” she said firmly. “Don’t ever let them make you feel that way. You’re more than enough, Steve. Any woman would be damn lucky to have you love her. Do you understand me?”  

He nodded, not really knowing what else to do, but she wasn’t going to let him off that easily.  

“Say it,” she ordered.

  “I understand,” he said quietly. He wasn’t really sure that he did, but it seemed important to her.  

Liz knew he didn’t believe her words or his own affirmation and it broke her heart. The only way you could convince someone they were lovable, though, was to love them. And she could do that. Leaning in, she kissed his cheek again.  

“You’ve spent enough time out here,” she said. “Come inside and we’ll make dinner and watch a movie.”  

Steve glanced over at the engine, but eventually he nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think I’m gonna get anything else done today.”  

“Sometimes it’s just enough that you tried,” she murmured. “Come on.”  

She took him by the hand and led him out of the garage, shutting the lights off behind them. There was every chance that he’d be back at it the next day, or maybe even before he went to bed, but for a few hours he’d have the chance to be as normal as possible. And maybe he’d be able to keep the demons at bay for another day.   

She’d take what she could get.


	5. Chapter 5

“Where’s Grace?” Kono asked as Danny let her into the apartment.  

“She is with Rachel. There was some kind of history project that she needed to finish up, so I told her to go ahead and do that and that you and I would just pick her up from the house and head straight to the beach. I hope that’s okay.”  

She waved him off. “Of course it’s okay. As long as I get to spend some quality beach time with my two favorite students, I’m good.”  

Danny’s eyebrows rose. “Two favorite, huh?”

  “Well, obviously Grace trumps you.”  

“Obviously.”  

Kono leaned back against the kitchen counter. “Did you get to see her last night? I know it was a rough case.”

Danny nodded.  “Thankfully, Rachel has been in a very generous mood of late. She didn’t argue at all when I asked to come over and hug my baby girl. And yes, I took full advantage of that.”  

Kono shook her head, an amused smile on her face. “You really don’t have any idea what an amazing father you are, do you?”  

He shrugged. “I do my best.”

  “Yeah, you do. Every single day. Most little girls aren’t that lucky. What you and Grace have is really special.”  

Danny coughed, looking slightly embarrassed. “She asked about you.”  

“Really?”  

“What do you mean, ‘really?’ Of course! She thinks you’re just the coolest girl she’s ever met and I’m terrified that she wants to be you when she grows up.”  

“Oh come on...would that really be so bad?”  

Despite the light tone, Danny could see that he had stung her a bit. “I pray to God every day that my Monkey grows up to have your strength of character and badassery, Kono. But I’d really rather that my little girl did _not_ grow up to carry a gun and chase bad guys. My blood pressure cannot handle that.” He paused, sliding his hands into his pockets. “I, uh...I love that she has you as a role model, though. You’re really good for her.”  

Kono felt her face heating up, but she was saved by the sudden ringing of Danny’s cell phone. He took one look at the screen and grimaced as he hit the answer button.  

“McGarrett, so help me God if you are calling us in on a case when I am about to go pick up Grace...Oh. Well, no, I’m just glad that I don’t have to kill you. I’m sure that Chin and Kono would help me to hide the bodies if you interrupted their Saturday, though. Uh, hang on, let me ask.” He pulled the phone away from his mouth slightly and addressed Kono. “You, me, and Grace head over to McGarrett’s for dinner with him and Liz after the beach?”  

She nodded. “Works for me.”  

He brought the phone back to his mouth. “Yeah, we’ll be there. Need me to bring anything? Of course you do. Sometimes I wonder if you do anything but drink the beer I buy you. Because I am a nice guy, Steven. I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that. Yes, I can hear Liz laughing in the background. You make sure she knows I plan on holding that against her. Yeah, yeah. See you then.”

  “Those two are two peas in a pod,” he said after he’d hung up. “She comes across as this intelligent, professional woman, but then she turns out to be just as awful as Steve.” Danny shook his head and headed toward the fridge. “You want a water?”  

She nodded in response. “Are you sure they’re not dating?”  

“Yes, I am sure.”  

“How?”  

“I have asked Steve many times. He says they’ve never been like that.”  

“And you believe him?” she asked as he rummaged through his fridge.  

“I do.” He pulled out two bottles of water and passed one to her. “And no, I’m not just taking his word for it. I watch them - not in a creepy way - whenever we all hang out. I really don’t think they’re hiding a love affair.”  

Her eyes narrowed. “So you’re telling me that they live in the same house, spend tons of time together, know each other’s darkest secrets, and they’re _not_ sleeping together?” Kono asked incredulously.

  “I have to admit, sweetheart, I am starting to worry about your fixation on your boss’ love life.”  

She gave Danny a flat look. “Come on. You can’t tell me it doesn’t surprise you, too.”  

“I can admit that it strikes me as a little strange. They get on splendidly, and sometimes when he looks at her...”

  “Yeah?”  

He shrugged. “If I didn’t know them and I saw them out together, I would assume that they were in a relationship.”  

“Ha!” Kono crowed triumphantly. “You agree with me.”  

“I do, but you don’t see me griping about it constantly.”

  “Right. Because you never gripe.”  

“I’m just choosy about my subjects.”  

Kono snorted, leaning back against the counter. “If we could just get them to kiss, I think the rest would take care of itself.”  

Danny chuckled. “You think one good kiss is gonna get them together?”  

She shrugged. “Why not?”

  He made a vague gesture. “You and I had a pretty hot kiss if I remember correctly. And we are not together.”  

Kono made a face. “It was an _okay_ kiss...”  

“I’m sorry, excuse me?”  

“Oh come on, Danny. We were undercover and stumbling around! That doesn’t make a hot kiss.”

  “I enjoyed it.”  

“Eh.”  

“I’m sorry, did you just ‘eh’ me? Are you calling my kissing prowess into question, Kalakaua?”  

“I’m just saying...”

  “I’ll show you.”  

Danny stepped forward, refusing to let his brain have any say in this. He had to reach up slightly to press his lips to hers, but the height difference had never bothered him. Kono froze at the contact. Danny made sure to keep the touch light so that she could push him away if she wanted to, but the hands that came up to frame his face didn’t seem to have any intention of letting him go.

 That worked for him. The kiss grew deeper and then grew into another and another and Danny had her pressed up against the counter and her body felt perfect against his. Her fingers carded into his hair and lightly scratched at his scalp and he felt his skin grow hot. 

  “We have to go pick up Grace,” she murmured, pulling back just long enough to get some air into her lungs.  

“Mmm,” he hummed. “We’ve got another minute.”  

Kono nodded and kissed him again. “Okay.”

* * *

Liz remembered getting up that morning. She remembered taking a shower and getting dressed. She remembered blow drying her hair before going downstairs to make a quick breakfast. She remembered smiling at Steve and having a short conversation with him about dinner before leaning over to kiss his cheek. She even remembered the way he had blushed - was he doing that more lately? - and then she had smirked at him and walked out of the house. She had gotten into her car and headed for work, remembering halfway there that she was supposed to pick up breakfast for her class. Donuts. She had been going to get them donuts. 

She could even remember back to the dinner she and Steve had had with Danny and Kono and Grace the week before. She remembered laughter and a warm feeling in the middle of her chest as she looked around at the people she now considered family. 

 She didn’t remember anything after the donuts, though.   

She was awake and she was tied to a chair. Though the former gave her hope, the latter brought a familiar, sick feeling to the pit of her stomach. She tested the ropes, but there wasn’t any slack. She looked around the room, but there was no window, no identifying marks that meant anything to her.   And then the door opened. An Asian man in an expensive suit walked in, his face calm and cold. Liz immediately knew that he was the one behind her abduction.   

“Dr. Weir,” he said politely, inclining his head briefly. “My name is Wo Fat. Perhaps you’ve heard of me.”

  She clenched her fists to keep her hands from shaking.


	6. Chapter 6

Despite the fear coiling tightly in the pit of her stomach, Liz forced herself to stare straight ahead, her expression blank. This was not the first time she had been taken hostage, though she prayed to God that it was the last. 

She remembered the last time quite vividly, even though it had been more than two years ago. John had still been with her then. General Kolya was the leader of a large rebel faction based in the former Soviet Union, and the rumors about him had been wild. More than a few of her diplomatic friends had begged her not to go out there, but Liz was nothing if not determined. There was a need for a diplomat there with strong negotiating skills and no one else would step up to the plate.

John hadn't wanted her to go, but he had learned early on in their working relationship that arguing with her was pointless. He and Ronon, his second-in-command, had stocked up with enough firepower to take out a small nation and they had followed her, just like they always did. 

The meeting had been a setup from the beginning. John's spider sense had gone tingly a few minutes in and that had been the only thing to save their lives. 

They'd almost made it to the door, John's hand gripping hers, when the explosion threw them to the ground. The room where the meeting was taking place was gone, nothing more than an angry fire hungry for more. Liz's hand was empty, ripped from John's in the blast. A sigh of relief had escaped her when she once against felt warmth against her skin, but it wasn't John. 

It took him two days to find her, breaking down the wooden door of her prison with an ax. His face was bloody and his clothing ripped, but he was there and he was untying her and he carried her out like some ridiculous hero. It had taken everything in her not to cry as she clung to him, but he had felt her shaking and held her tighter, promising her over and over again that she was okay.

Thinking of John was painful enough to block out the fear momentarily, but it wasn't a trade Liz was willing to make. She needed her head on straight if she was going to make it out of this, and she had every intention of doing so. 

Her traitorous mind, though, turned to Steve. She had never told him about Kolya or what had happened to her while she was his prisoner. He was a lot like John, though, and she could picture his reaction. The pain in his face, the tightening of his jaw, the flexing of the muscles in his forearms. 

She might have lost John, but Steve was out there and she knew that he was looking for. He wouldn't stop. It was easy to take comfort in that fact and she breathed a little easier, the pain that was clouding her head clearing just a little. It was just enough clarity for her to realize something so simple that it was a wonder she hadn't seen it before. 

She had only ever loved two men in her life.

The door opened suddenly and Liz looked up to see Wo Fat walk in, his suit impeccably pressed and clean despite the heat and dirt surrounding him. He had been almost gentlemanly ever since taking her as his prisoner. She knew enough to know that made him all the more dangerous. Kolya had been polite as well. 

"My associates tell me that Commander McGarrett and his team are on the way. I should thank you. Luring him into this kind of trap would have been nearly impossible without your help."

"You're a dead man," Liz said quietly, feeling the truth of it deep in her bones. "You know that, don't you?"

"I must say that I'm a little disappointed. I would have thought a diplomat like yourself would try to diffuse the situation. You sound more like McGarrett than I would have expected."

"Negotiating doesn't work with sociopaths," she replied. "Diplomacy 101. I can't wait to watch Steve put you in the ground."

Wo Fat didn't seem perturbed. "Sadly, I think you'll most likely end up watching him die as he tries to save you. Those heroic tendencies of his seem to have a suicidal slant, don't you think?"

Liz ignored that implication and narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?" she asked quietly. "If you want him dead, why haven't you just tried to kill him in a simpler way?"

He shrugged. "Commander McGarrett has been a thorn in my side ever since coming back to the island. He's made business very difficult for me, and on top of that, he's shown a great deal of disrespect. Letting him live would open the door for my competitors to do the same. He needs to be removed from the equation, and he needs to be a lesson for others."

His speech was calm and simple, and that sent a chill down her spine. This was about revenge for Wo Fat, yes, but it was also about business. He wouldn't hesitate for a second to kill someone that was standing in his way, and right now that person was Steve - along with the rest of his team. 

Another man walked into the room, tall and lanky. His skin was pale and his eyes were dark, and the fear in her stomach grew colder. 

"This is Davis, one of my associates. I am going to leave you in his very capable hands." He turned to the other man. "I suggest gagging her. Otherwise she could warn McGarrett once he gets here."

Davis nodded, his eyes boring into Liz. Every muscle in her body tensed, but she refused to look away, even as Wo Fat turned and walked out the door, leaving her alone with him.

* * *

She had been expecting him to come over to her. Despite the dark threat of his gaze, though, Davis had another task in mind, at least for the time being. Sliding a large black duffel bag from his shoulder, he knelt down and began emptying it, setting things around him carefully. At first, it just seemed like reams and reams of nearly-invisible string and Liz didn't understand. 

Then the explosives came out. 

Once, a long time ago, John had pulled her aside and showed her various types of bombs and explosives. The ones that were easiest to disarm he explained, but the rest were just for identification purposes. If she was ever in a situation without him, he wanted her to have every piece of knowledge that she could, so she could make the best escape plan. In her time as a diplomat, Liz had become most familiar with C-4, but that wasn't what Davis was handling now.

It was Semtex.

He laid everything out around him and then looked up at her, his eyes coldly calculating. Reaching into his back pocket, he held up a large handkerchief for her to see. Apparently he was going to heed Wo Fat's warning. Davis rose to his feet with more grace than she would have attributed to him originally and walked forward without saying a word. He paused in front of her, looking down at her, eyes intense and unsettling. Liz refused to look away, but she could feel her body quaking under his scrutiny. 

When he raised his hands to put the gag in place, she tried to move her head around and keep out of his reach. Without any change in expression, he backhanded her so hard that she saw stars, and he used that opportunity to silence her with the cloth. Her face stung and her left eye watered, but Liz kept quiet, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry or beg. 

Davis gave her a cold smile and then turned away. 

The room was quiet as she watched him work. She might not be able to do anything at the moment, but she was going to keep abreast of what was happening. Somehow, she had to warn Steve, and that meant she had to know as much as possible.

Davis was meticulous. He ran the wiring all across the room, from a foot inside the door to within two feet of her chair. It ranged from a few inches off the floor to the top of his head, which Liz estimated to be around six foot two or three. No one was getting into the room without hitting one of those wires. It only took her half a second to realize that no one was leaving, either. 

It took him a long while to set the charges. Semtex was more colorful than C-4, but it was just as malleable, and he set it all along the room. He pressed it into the corners, into the seams where the wall met the floor, and behind the numerous boxes that filled the room. Liz didn't know the exact amount of damage it could all do, but she wasn't naive enough to believe that anyone could survive that kind of blast. All of this just to get rid of Steve. Her mind couldn't wrap itself around that. 

His job over, Davis turned to look at her. There was a small area without any wiring and they were both in it, trapped. She wondered what could possibly possess a man like Davis to corner himself like that. If he had just started the charges on the other end, he could have walked out and left her there. 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife, a switchblade that he opened without ever taking his eyes off of her. Body tensing again, Liz heard Wo Fat's voice telling her that he was leaving her in Davis' "very capable hands." 

"We've got some time to kill," he said.


	7. Chapter 7

Steve shook his head, pacing back and forth in front of the car. “I don't like it, Danny.”

“Of course you don't,” his friend replied. “There is absolutely nothing to like about this situation.” Steve kept pacing, and Danny could practically hear his blood pressure rising. “Okay, let's go over what we know, alright?”

Steve just nodded, so he continued.

“Alright. We've got different people around the island being contacted by this guy, and he's giving them messages that they're supposed to give to you. Mamo, Kamekona, the waitress we always get at the diner...but no cops.”

“Because a cop might recognize him.”

“Or because a cop might look at him and see that he's NOT Wo Fat.”

Steve looked up sharply. “Danny, you can't honestly think -”

He held up his hands to stop him. “I'm not saying that I do, Steven. But we have to at least acknowledge the possibility that this isn't Wo Fat.”

“Then what would it be?”

“A set-up.”

Steve shook his head. “I think it's that no matter what, Danny,” he said quietly.

“So what do we do about that? I mean, we don't actually have a crime here yet. Just a bunch of weird messages.”

“Threatening.”

“Threatening,” he agreed. “But nothing to lead us to Wo Fat or to the person pretending to be Wo Fat.” Danny paused. “Of course, he probably only wants to make sure that you know he's here. Close.”

“But why?” Steve pressed. “What purpose does that serve except to make me more vigilant? Wo Fat has to know that the second I get a hint of him being here, I'm going to rip the island apart looking for him.”

“So maybe that's what he's counting on.”

“But why?” he repeated, his eyes intense.

Danny shrugged. “To distract you.”

Steve hesitated. “You think he's planning something bigger?”

“I think that this guy always has something up his sleeve. He's smart, Steve. And he has no qualms about doing what he thinks he needs to. If he's putting his name out there, it's because he wants you fixated on that. And that can only mean bad things for us.”

Crossing his arms, Steve let out a long, loud breath, his nostrils flaring. “So what if I don't take the bait? What if -” He stopped when his phone rang, pulling it out of his pocket quickly and answering it without checking the caller I.D. “McGarrett.” He paused to listen. “What are you talking about? No, I don't...have you tried her cell? Shit.” He disconnected the call

“Steve -”

“Liz didn't show up for her morning classes.”

Danny felt like an anvil had dropped into the pit of his stomach, and he was moving towards the passenger door without even thinking about it. Steve was already sliding behind the wheel.

“Okay,” he said, trying to calm himself, “okay. This doesn't mean...I mean...she could just be sick. Maybe she turned around on her way to work. She's probably sleeping on the couch, or curled up in bed...”

Steve turned and just looked at him. There was no anger there, but there was fear, and a certainty that one of his worst fears was coming true.

Danny nodded. “Right. Step on it, McGarrett.”

He didn't flinch as the tires bit into the road.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to go through the house. It was obvious from the second they stepped through the door that Liz wasn't there. Her car wasn't in the driveway and the silence inside was the kind that only happened when everyone had already left for the day. They checked each and every room, though, guns drawn. When they couldn't deny that the house was empty, they started over again, moving more slowly and without weapons to look for any trace of a struggle.

There was nothing.

Steve came back down the stairs, running his hands down his face. “Danny -”

He sounded completely wrecked, and Danny's heart went out to him. He remembered Grace being taken, the fear so nauseating in the pit of his stomach. And though he didn't think anything could quite compare to your child being taken, he knew that family was family. Liz was a solid foundation for Steve, someone who had known him most of his adult life and loved him without any conditions. She was the person who had stayed with him the longest, and losing her now...Danny thought that it might actually destroy him.

“We will find her,” he said, forcing more confidence into his voice than he felt at the moment. “We will find her and we will find Wo Fat and we will make him pay for ever thinking that he could take one of us, okay?”

Steve looked like a lost little boy. “Danny, what if he...?”

“No. We are not doing this, Steven. We are not going to go through the 'what-if's' and the worst-case scenarios. We are going to find her. That's it.”

There were a few shuddering breaths, but then Steve did what he always did – he pulled everything back and locked it in a box somewhere deep inside of him. He had a mission and he was focused on that. Danny wondered if Wo Fat really had any idea what he had done by taking this woman away from Steve. Hell was going to rain down on him, and Danny really hoped he was there to watch the bastard burn.

Eyes narrowing and muscles tensing, Steve nodded. “Right. We need -”

There was a quick knock on the door and then Kono was walking in, a pained expression on her face. It wasn't just sympathy – something had happened.

“Steve...”

“Just spit it out, Kono,” he said.

She nodded, following his example and going into full-on cop mode. “We found her car.”

He seemed to turn to stone. “Liz?”

“Not in it. And Forensics hasn't found any blood yet. They're going over it with a fine-toothed comb and there's a rush on everything. Charlie Fong knows the score and he's standing by.” She let that sink in for a moment. “When was the last time you saw her?”

“This morning.”

“Anything unusual?”

Steve frowned. “Kono -”

“We need to run it like a case, boss. You know that. The more information we have, the bigger advantage we have.”

He let out a sigh and nodded. “It was a usual morning. I went for my swim, she made breakfast. We talked about work...” He shrugged. “We made plans for dinner tonight.”

“Chin's already at the university. Her car was found between here and there, so we don't think she got there, but we're checking it out anyway.”

“I want to see the car.”

Kono nodded. “It's already at the lab.”

They all moved outside, Kono heading for her car while the boys went to the Camaro. Once he was behind the steering wheel, Steve paused, that lost look on his face again.

“He has her, Danny.”

“I know.”

“I'll kill him.”

Danny nodded. “I know that, too.”

When his friend didn't say anything else, Steve nodded and started the car, backing it out of the driveway.


	8. Chapter 8

He was pacing again. He knew that he should probably stop, that it wasn't doing any good, but he needed to do _something_.

It was bad enough that this was Liz. The knowledge that she was missing, that Wo Fat had her somewhere...it was enough to make him sick. He needed her to be okay. If she wasn't...

It was even worse that there wasn't anything they could do. The car had been gone over by various lab techs, and Charlie had run everything they had found. There was nothing. No evidence, no trace. They hadn't found any witnesses that had seen Liz's car pull into the parking spot by the park. No one had seen her or anyone else get out. They'd seen nothing. Which told them that whatever had happened had looked so natural that it didn't register on anyone's radar.

Every piece of this had been so carefully constructed that no one even questioned if it was really Wo Fat behind the kidnapping. It was too neat. Too clean.

Steve didn't understand what the endgame was. If Wo Fat wanted him to follow him, he would have left some kind of clue behind for him to follow. Was the point just to torture him? Did he just want Steve to live with the knowledge that he was on the island and Liz was gone? His mind was already running through all of the bad ways that this could end. His stomach clenched at the idea of never finding any clues. What if Wo Fat just wanted to leave him wondering for the rest of his life? His head spun slightly and he stopped pacing, leaning forward against his neck and letting his head hang.

The door behind him opened quietly and then closed again. “Babe?”

Steve spun around to face him, unable to hide the hope and fear that swept across his face. “Liz?”

Danny stepped closer to him. “I finally got the bastards at the phone company to give me her phone records.”

“And?”

“And she got a call while she was on her way to work. We can't back trace the number because it's a pre-paid cell, but we've got the number. Kono got in touch with the company that manufactures the phones and got a serial number, which we traced back to a small store in town.”

Steve spread his arms. “So why aren't we going?”

“We are. Now. Why do you think I came in here to get you? Let's go, big guy.”

Danny didn't say a word as Steve raced through Honolulu. His partner's driving was usually enough to send his heart into his throat, but at times like these he was thankful for Steve’s lead foot.

“They have to have security cameras, right?” Steve asked suddenly, eyes locked on the road. “Everybody has security cameras these days.”

“I already called ahead, babe. They do indeed have security cameras and they are ready for us to arrive and view them.”

There was a pause. “Thanks, Danny.”

“You can thank me after I hand you the match to burn this guy to the ground. I am so fucking sick of him screwing with our lives.”

Steve didn't even need to reply.

* * *

The sun was setting and Liz was still gone. She was gone, and the only thing that Steve could do was stare at a video feed. Wo Fat bought the burner phone just like he was a normal person on any normal day. He knew right where the camera was, even glancing up at it once and smiling. He had known. He had known that they'd get the phone number, the serial number, and the store. He had known all of that and prepared for it and fucking hell, he was _toying_ with them. He had all the control and he was just stringing Steve along, only giving him the clues he wanted him to have.

Not for the first time that day, Steve wondered if Liz was already dead.

“Stop it,” Danny said sharply under his breath. “Stop imagining it. Thinking like that is not going to help us.”

“I have to face the facts, Danny. She might already -”

“She is alive. She is alive and she is waiting for you to get your ass in gear and find her. So no more of this fatalist bullshit, okay? We do not have time for despondent thoughts. I need you to get angry and crazy like you seem to be every other day of the week and start tearing the island apart looking for Liz.”

“Give me a spot, Danny. Tell me where I should start tearing and I will. We've got _nothing_.”

“Commander McGarrett?”

Both men stopped and turned to look at the pimply-faced kid that was standing a couple of feet away. He had been the one to lead them to the back office where they could view the tape, leaving them alone with it when Danny had told him he could go back to the cash register. Now he was standing in front of them with a large envelope in his hands.

“What's that?” Danny asked.

The kid shrugged. “It was in the mail and it has Commander McGarrett's name on it.”

Steve immediately snatched the envelope out of the kid's hand and tore it open before Danny could even say anything about bombs or booby traps or just getting it back to the lab so that it could be analyzed before he ruined all of the evidence. They both knew who it was from, though, and there was no way Steve was going to wait that long to find out what was inside.

The contents ended up being nothing more than a single sheet of paper with an address on it. Steve held it up for Danny to see and then turned on his heel and strode out of the office. Danny hurried to catch up, not really surprised at his partner's reaction but needing to comment on it nonetheless.

“You do realize that this is a trap, don't you?” he asked as they got back into the car.

“Yep.”

“And that doesn't bother you in the slightest?” He held up his hands. “I am in no way suggesting that we shouldn't go, Steven. You seem to forget that Liz is my friend as well and that I want to rescue her almost as much as you do. And the only reason I say almost is because I'm not in love with her the way you are. I am merely suggesting that it might be prudent to call someone – I don't know, maybe Chin or Kono, you know...our _other team members_ – and advise them that we're going to a location of Wo Fat's choosing and that we might very well become fish food or some other such undesirable thing since this is most assuredly a trap. At the very least, they can notify people when are bodies are sinking to the bottom of the ocean. You know that bastard wouldn't leave any chance that we'd wash up on shore.” He took a deep breath, but there was no reply. “Steven?”

“I'm driving.”

“I am well aware of that, though I do wish you wouldn't call it that. It confuses those of us who know what driving actually looks like when it's done properly and by the law.”

“I'm driving,” Steve gritted out. “So you have to dial.”

“Oh, right.” He pulled out his phone and pressed the speed dial for Kono's number. “Sometimes you have decent ideas, my friend.”

“Tell them to hurry.”

“Trust me, babe. I won't need to.”


	9. Chapter 9

Steve didn't think he had ever loved his team more than when he saw Kono and Chin pull in right behind the Camaro a couple of driveways down from the location they'd been given. They knew he wouldn't wait – knew that he couldn't – and they were right there, watching his back just like they always were.

He wanted to curse the quiet voice in the back of his head that reminded him that it was still early. He could still lose more people on top of Liz. He could literally lose everything.

“What's the plan, boss?” Kono asked as they all strapped on their vests and double-checked their weapons.

“Danny and I will take the front. You and Chin take the back. Nobody gets out of there, you understand? Detain anyone you see.”

They all nodded. It wasn't the best of plans, but there wasn't any time for finesse. As he and Danny moved toward the front door, Steve pushed everything else from his mind. This was a case, an op. He had an objective and he had backup and anything past that was only a distraction. He had to take this piece by piece. The bigger picture was too uncertain and too bloody for him to contemplate.

He didn't knock and Danny didn't lecture him on warrants and due process. His partner was oddly quiet as they kicked in the door and rushed into the house, sweeping each room to make sure that there was no threat. No one jumped out at them. No bombs went off. There were no bodies, and Liz wasn't tied to a chair anywhere.

But his sister was.

“Mary!” he exclaimed, rushing forward to get the tape off of her mouth and to undo the bindings around her wrists and ankles. “How...?”

“I gotta tell you, big brother, you have some pretty shitty people pissed at you.” As soon as she was free, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly. “I was so afraid he was gonna kill you.”

Steve pulled back slightly. “Who?”

“He said his name was Wo Fat. He's seriously got it out for you, Steve. What the hell did you do to this guy?”

He shook his head. There wasn't any time for that explanation and the questions he was sure she would have. “How did you get here?” he asked instead. “I thought you were in L.A.”

“I was. I distinctly remember falling asleep in my bed last night, and then I woke up here, with that creepy guy standing over me.”

Steve ran his hands over her shoulders and arms. “Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head. “He just tied me up. Steve...what's going on?”

He swallowed roughly. “He's got Liz.”

His sister had never met Liz, but he'd mentioned his friend once she had moved in with him. He had given her Mary's old room and didn't want his sister to feel like he was pushing her out of their family home. She hadn't minded, though, and she had heard the way Steve talked about Liz. She knew what they meant to each other, and she could see it on his face how much this was killing him.

“I'm so sorry, Steve. He talked about wanting to hurt you. I didn't know...” Mary shook her head. “That explains why he wanted me to tell you something.”

The team froze, staring at her.

“What did he say?” Danny asked, when he saw that his friend was basically paralyzed.

She looked right at her brother. “He said you needed to ask Victor Hesse.” Steve still had his hands on her arms, and she felt him go rigid. “Steve? Who is that?”

“He killed Dad,” he murmured.

“Please tell me you know where this bastard is,” Mary said.

“Yeah. He's ashes, Mary. He was killed in prison.” He looked up at Danny. “I can't interrogate a dead man.”

“No,” Chin said, stepping forward. “But you can look through his stuff.”

Kono frowned. “Would the Department of Corrections still have that?”

“I don't know. But it's a good place to start.”

“Do it,” Steve said. He reached down and helped his sister out of the chair. “Come on, Mare. Let's get you out of here.”


	10. Chapter 10

Steve was locked away in his office and Mary watched him through the glass. Even though on many levels they were still getting to know each other again, she still _knew_ him. She saw the slump of his shoulders and the haunted look on his face and she knew that he was barely hanging on.

She had wanted to meet Liz ever since her brother first mentioned her a few months ago. It had come as a surprise that he had a friend outside of the team, and she was even more shocked to find out that they had known each other since just after Steve graduated from the Academy.

It hadn't been hard to figure out that Steve had feelings for this woman. Even though he did the stoic thing really well, there were times when he couldn't help but wear his heart on his sleeve, especially when he loved someone. And she would bet most of her money that her brother was in love with Liz. She didn't need him to admit it – it was in his voice every time he mentioned her.

Mary prayed that they would be able to find her before Wo Fat did any serious damage.

“Coffee?”

She turned to see Danny standing there, a steaming cup in his hand. She took it with a smile.

“Thanks.”

“Trust me. The importance of coffee is never undervalued in this office.”

She took a cautious sip and found that it was still just a little too hot to drink. “You guys found anything yet?”

He shook his head. “The Department of Corrections doesn't have his stuff anymore. They say they sent it back to HPD so that a family member could claim it. Only thing being that Victor Hesse didn't have any living relatives left. There was no one for them to contact.”

“What usually happens to the stuff in a case like that?”

“Sometimes it's given to charity. Other times it's just thrown out...depends on what it is. It's not technically evidence anymore, since he was tried and convicted.”

“I take it you guys already checked anything left in evidence?”

Danny nodded. “Chin and Kono combed through it. There wasn't anything there.”

“What about the box that Steve had at the house? The one that Dad gave him?”

“He's already gone through it six times. Nothing. Besides...that's been with Steve for too long now for Wo Fat to have slipped any evidence into it.”

“I'm starting to get the feeling that this guy is too good to say he couldn't do something.” She shuddered, once again remembering that she had been transported from Los Angeles to Hawaii without even waking up. It scared the shit out of her.

“You okay?” Danny asked, not missing the reaction.

She didn't really want to talk about it, but thankfully she had noticed something else earlier that she could deflect with.

“So what's going on with you and Kono?”

She got the desired reaction. Danny spluttered into his coffee, pulling the cup away as he began to cough. He glared at her for a second as he wiped at his mouth and shirt.

“What are you talking about?”

Mary grinned. “Oh, don't play dumb with me, Williams. You may be the cop, but I'm a woman. And there is _definitely_ something going on there. Come on...tell me. I promise I won't tell Steve.”

Danny held up a finger. “You will not breath a word to Steve, do you understand me? I do not need him trying to kill me while we're chasing down Wo Fat, and I certainly do not need Chin to hear anything. Nothing. Not even the whisper of a rumor.”

Her grin widened. “So there is something going on!”

“I...maybe. I think so.” He paused. “I hope so.”

“Good for you, Danny. And hey, maybe after this is over and you guys get Liz back, you can convince Steve to make a move on her. The guy is so totally head over heels for her.”

“Tell me about it! Trust me, Mary, I have done my level best with the man, but he just won't admit it! You should see the two of them together. It's absolutely ridiculous! I keep telling him that he should get down on his hands and knees and thank God every day that a woman that far out of his league would deign to spend any time with him at all, but he just keeps saying that their friends and then changes the subject.”

She smiled at his rant. “I hate to suggest it, but maybe this whole thing will make him tell her. Or at least admit it to himself.”

“Sadly, I don't see that happening,” Danny replied. “I know Steve. He's scared and he's angry, but he's also feeling guilty. He thinks that Wo Fat taking Liz is HIS fault, instead of blaming the psychotic bastard that seems hellbent on ruining his life. I'd be surprised if he doesn't do something stupid after this and try to pull away from everybody. I can't seem to break him of the idea that he's doing us a favor by distancing himself. Honestly, I would like to meet the people in his life who have made him feel this way. I would like to meet them and then I would like to punch them in the face. Each and every single one of them.”

“Make sure you give me a call if you find them, okay? I'll help.”

“You got yourself a deal.” Danny sighed and straightened his shoulders. “I'm gonna go try and convince him to get some sleep.”

Mary snorted. “Seriously?”

“I know, I know. But I have to try. We've got nothing until Chin and Kono find Hesse's personal effects, and Steve's not doing anybody any good by brooding in there.”

“Dude, he couldn't sleep even if he tried.”

“Still gotta try.”

She nodded, understanding. “You're a good friend, Danny.”

He gave her a tight smile. “There's a couch in my office, you know. You could get some rest, too.”

“I'll sleep when you find her.”

“Fair enough.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze before heading off in the direction of his friend's office.

* * *

“Knock, knock.”

Steve's head snapped up, but Danny held up both of his hands to indicate that he shouldn't get excited.

“I'm just checking on you, babe. You've been brooding for more than an hour now, and that's not healthy.”

He scowled, shaking his head. “Danny...”

“I know. I'm sorry. I ramble when I'm nervous.”

“You ramble all the time.”

“That's because you make me nervous.” He perched himself on the arm of the couch. “You should rest, Steve.”

“Not gonna happen.”

“We don't have anywhere to go. We are following up on the only lead we have. Take the time. Lie down. You don't even have to sleep. Just let your body relax a little -”

Steve stood up abruptly. “I should go join Chin and Kono. The more of us that look -”

Danny stayed between him and the door, once again holding up his hands. “Babe -”

“Danny, get out of my way.”

“Steve -”

“DAMMIT, DANNY!”

Steve yelling was generally a frightening thing, but Danny took a hold of his arms anyway. “Steve, come on, man. You need to take a break. Just a little one -”

“I can't.”

“You have to.”

“I can't! I'm serious, Danny. Get the hell out of my way, or -”

“Not moving, Steve.”

He felt his friend's body tense, and he wondered if he was going to punch him or simply throw him across the room. Even so, he wasn't entirely surprised when Steve deflated, hanging his head as he struggled to keep a hold of himself.

“Fifteen hours, Danny. It's been...” He sniffled, raising his head again. “You can't ask me to sit here and do nothing while Chin and Kono look. You can't ask me to do that, Danny. I have to find her. I have to...I have...”

“Steven, I need you to listen to me. We are going to find Liz. We are going to find her and you are going to hug her like you've never hugged anyone in your life. And then, my friend, you are going to tell her that you are in love with her. No, no, no. There is no point in denying it anymore. We all know it. Hell, even your sister knows it and she's never even met Liz. So once we get her back and we know that she is okay, you are going to ask that woman out to dinner, do you understand me? The two of you deserve to be happy, dammit.”

“I thought you were trying to convince me to rest.”

“I am trying to get you to do something that is good for you. That is what friends do.”

Steve's phone rang then, making Danny jump. Steve ripped the phone out of his pocket and answered it before the second ring had even finished.

“McGarrett.”

He didn't say anything after that. Danny could hear Chin's voice on the other end, but the conversation didn't last more than thirty seconds and then Steve was hanging up.

“They found it.”

Danny turned and led them both out of the office, giving Mary a hopeful look as they charged past her and headed for the parking lot. The Camaro looked lonely in the lot this late at night. As he slid in and buckled his seat belt, he heard Steve's voice travel softly across the inside of the car.

“I love her, Danny.”

He reached out and squeezed his friend's arm. “I know, babe.”

He turned the key and the engine roared and they sped off into the darkness.

* * *

It amazed Liz how stupid and self-assured men could be. Davis thought that because he had a knife on her and promised to do disgusting things to her if she tried anything, that he could safely untie her hands and remove the gag. Maybe he even got off on it. But he had no concept of what a desperate woman would be willing to risk in an effort to save herself. Liz new that she was most likely going to die - either from the man in front of her or the Semtex he had booby-trapped the room with. She had no grand illusions of getting out of this one. 

Which meant there was no reason to let this man get away with anything he was planning for her.


	11. Chapter 11

The sun was starting to come up as they moved down the dirt track on foot. They didn't want to risk sentries hearing the engines of their vehicles and Steve at least felt more comfortable moving on foot. It was a given that Wo Fat was waiting for them, or that he had at least set up an ambush of some kind. The clues he had left were bait for the trap, and they had no choice but to walk straight into it.

They were almost silent as they moved, and the two sentries they came upon never even heard them coming. Steve and Kono managed to disarm them and knock them unconscious without them crying out, and soon they were both handcuffed and lying beneath a tree. The team knew they were getting close.

Another minute through the jungle and they saw it. It was a cross between a warehouse and a garage, the structure large enough to house multiple rooms. There were only two vehicles parked nearby, and no sign of anyone. Steve resisted the urge to simply charge in, instead squatting down and looking at his team. He made a few clear gestures, indicating that Kono was to go around to the south, while Chin took the north. Danny was to stay with him and they were going to go in from one of the windows that faced them on the ground floor. Even without a word being said, they understood, and they all nodded to indicate that they were ready.

The sun was up now, and the heat of the day was starting to rise.

On Steve's signal, they all stood up and followed their designated paths. Steve and Danny crouched beneath their chosen window, the SEAL raising himself up just enough to get a quick look inside. He nodded at his partner to let him know that it was clear and then he stood up, pushing at the window. It moved without too much resistance and Steve was able to haul his body up and inside, with Danny close behind. Guns drawn, they fanned out in the empty room, moving toward the door that would most likely take them out into the hallway.

It did, and that was empty, too. Steve didn't like it. His mind was flashing back to his time in North Korea as Wo Fat's prisoner. He remembered Jenna and his mind replaced that image with one of Liz lying on the cold concrete floor, a bullet hole in her head. There should have been more people. The trap should have sprung. Why was it so quiet?

One by one, they found nothing but empty rooms. The ache started to spread across Steve's chest. He was convinced Liz would be in the next room every time, dead on the floor. There wasn't any other way this could end.

And then there was sound.

It was muffled, and coming from the other end of the building. Steve and Danny shared a quick look before heading off down the hall, still giving a cursory check to each room to make sure that an ambush wasn't set into place behind them. At the other end, they finally found a room that wasn't empty, but it didn't have a dead body in it either.

It had a man trying to force himself onto a woman. Onto Liz.

Steve didn't even stop to think about it. His gun rose in one fluid motion and he pulled the trigger, sending four bullets into the man. Each one hit home and her attacker finally fell to the side, dead. Liz was already pushing herself up to her knees and Steve moved to step into the room, relief flooding through him at the site of her breathing.

“STOP!”

The sharpness of her voice made him freeze automatically, and it was then that he saw it. The wires crisscrossing the room. There was no clear path across.

“Semtex,” she said, eyes locking with his. “He rigged the room and trapped us in here. Wo Fat said he wanted you dead and this was how he was going to do it.”

“Probably means he's not far, then,” Danny said. “He'd want to watch you blow us all sky high.”

“So what's he going to do when the building doesn't blow?” Liz asked.

“That's probably not something we want to think about. Steve, I'm hoping you have some fabulous idea of how you're getting her out of there and us out of this building. Now would be the time for one of your ridiculously crazy stunts.”

“Don't even think about it,” Liz said firmly. There's no clear path, Steve, and there's no window.”

“Maybe I can disarm it,” he murmured, eyes following the wires.

“You can't even get to the charges,” she countered. “Now hush. I think I've got an idea.”

Liz righted the chair that had been knocked over in her struggle with Davis and then stepped up onto it. There was no walking path across the room, but her captor had only strung the wires up to his own chest level, which meant there was empty space between the wires and the ceiling. And the ceiling was covered in pipes. Reaching up, she tapped her hand against one of them, pulling it back quickly with a hiss. Definitely too hot for her bare hands. Stepping back down from the chair, she looked at the only other resource she had.

“Liz?”

Instead of answering, she reached out for the dead man and carefully removed the jacket that he was wearing, forcing herself not to flinch from the feel of his still-warm flesh. Once she had the jacket in her hands, she stepped back up onto the chair and looped the jacket over the pipe.

“Liz, let me come get you,” Steve said, his voice tight.

“You couldn't carry me back over the wires _and_ shimmy across a pipe, Steve. You're good, but you're still human.”

“That's up for debate,” Danny muttered.

“You should go,” she said, still looking at Steve. “If I fall, this entire building is going to go up. I'll meet you outside.”

Steve was already shaking his head. “I'm staying right here until you get over these wires. Danny, get the others and get back to the road.”

“Not gonna happen.”

Steve turned to look at him, an unusual pleading in his eyes. “Danno,” he said softly. “Please. Wo Fat is still out there. Get to Kono and Chin and see if you can keep him from escaping. And stay well away from the building, okay?”

Danny didn't want to leave his partner. He firmly believed that you weren't _ever_ supposed to leave your partner. But Steve had a point. There was still a madman on the loose, and that meant that they were still in danger even if Liz managed to get out of the room without blowing any of them up. He gave his best friend a long look, praying that he was making the right choice.

“We will be right outside, Steven, so don't get any wild ideas, okay?” He turned to Liz. “Take care of this fool, will you?”

Her eyes were bright with tears, but none of them hit her cheeks. “Always, Danny.”

He nodded. “Good.” Squeezing Steve's shoulder, he turned and headed outside.

Once he was gone, Steve turned back Liz. “You can do this.”

“I know.” She didn't really know, but at the same time, she didn't really have a choice. It was either crawl across the pipes and save herself, or kill them both, and possibly the rest of the team as well. The latter wasn't an option she wanted to consider, so she simply chose to ignore it. She had to get herself over the wires, so she would, end of story.

She heard John's voice in her head, mingling with Steve's, telling her that she could do this. For some reason, he had always believed in her.

Liz wasn't entirely sure which 'he' she was referring to.

It was a difficult crossing. Though she ran and generally tried to keep herself in decent shape, it wasn't often that she had to pull her own body weight up, and it was harder than she expected it to be. She thanked God for all of the Pilates classes she had taken, though, as she used her core to pull her legs up as high as she could.

The room wasn't that impossibly large, but trying to get the jacket to slide across the pipe without swinging her legs into the wires was time-consuming and exhausting. She could feel Steve's eyes on her the entire time, but she kept her attention completely focused on the task at hand. She kept her breathing as steady as possible and tried to ignore how sweaty her palms were getting or how much her arms and fingers ached.

For his part, Steve couldn't breathe. He didn't care that if she slipped, he would die as well. His life didn't matter. The only thing he cared about Liz and making sure that she got out of this alive. Despite that, though, it was completely out of his hands. He couldn't even take another half-step forward without hitting the wires, and that would kill them both. All he could was stand there and watch her as she fought gravity and fear.

In the end, he didn't think it actually took that long, but it felt like the longest interval of his life. Just as she was weakening, though, her legs starting to drift lower and lower, she came within reach of him. Steve gently took a hold of her legs and waited for the rest of her to follow and then she was sliding the jacket off of the pipe and he was pulling her into his arms and holding her against him tightly. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and breathed her in.

“Liz.”

She let him hold her, her own grip almost crushing. She knew there were people in the world who didn't even have one man who would come for them no matter what. She was lucky enough to have had two, and for a moment, the enormity of that statement threatened to choke her.

“Come on,” Steve whispered, breaking into her thoughts. “We need to get out of here.”

His eyes glinted dangerously, and Liz knew that this wasn't over yet. Wo Fat was still out there, and Steve wasn't going to rest until the man was lying dead at his feet.

She couldn't deny that the image made her feel better.


	12. Chapter 12

Kono didn’t even think about it. When she saw Wo Fat slipping into the jungle surrounding the building, she followed him. Steve had his hands full looking for Liz, and that was his top priority. But she knew how he’d feel if Wo Fat slipped through his fingers again, and Kono really didn’t like seeing the kicked puppy look on her boss’ face. 

As much as she wanted to, she knew that she couldn’t just shoot him in the back. No matter what the bastard had done, she was still a cop, and she wasn’t willing to sacrifice that for some scumbag. Announcing her presence and telling him to freeze was just stupid, though, and she would lose the small advantage that she had. 

She could really only see one option available. 

Angling her trajectory, she came towards Wo Fat from the side. He saw her just before she reached him, but he didn’t have the time to get out of her way. Leaping forward, Kono crashed into him, their limbs tangling as they hit the ground hard. 

While Kono knew that Wo Fat was good at hand-to-hand combat, she wasn’t expecting her opponent to recover so quickly and land a painful kick to her stomach. It made her double-over and stumble backwards, giving Wo Fat the chance to run. He didn’t take it. 

Instead, he pulled a small remote out of his jacket pocket and pressed a button. 

The explosion behind them rocked the jungle and Kono realized with horror that she might have just gotten her entire team killed. Her mind steered itself away from the grief and headed straight for the anger. If she was the only one left, then she was damn well going to make sure that Wo Fat didn’t leave the jungle in anything but a body bag. 

She owed the others that much. 

Diving at his knees, she once again carried them both to the ground. This time she rolled to her feet almost instantaneously and landed her own kick to his ribs. She didn’t go for a second blow, knowing that he might use the repetition to catch her leg. He was ready for that, though. Picking up a hand-sized rock, Wo Fat rolled and brought the rock crashing down onto her left foot. She heard bones crack and she cried out, unable to keep herself from crumbling to the ground. She tried to block the punch that came next as he got to his feet, but he feinted with his right and then smashed his left fist into the side of her face. Kono landed on her back, struggling to stand up again. 

There was a crash and a grunt, and she watched in amazement as Steve came charging out of the trees. He threw himself at Wo Fat, slamming him into a nearby tree before punching three or four times in the kidneys. Kono didn’t think she had ever seen her boss so angry, and though she was beyond grateful that he was alive, she was suddenly very afraid that Liz wasn’t. She could feel the need for revenge radiating off of him, and the look in his eyes was more dangerous than she had ever seen it before. 

Before he could land another blow, Wo Fat threw a sharp elbow back that caught him in the face and sent him stumbling backwards. Wo Fat followed that up with a high kick to his face and then a roundhouse that had him spinning. 

Steve blocked the next kick and punched him in the face. 

Kono was back on her feet now, watching the fight with a mixture of awe and fear. Though she sparred with Steve on a regular basis, it wasn’t often that she got to see him fight like this. Wo Fat was a good opponent, too. He may have dressed in suits and passed himself off as nothing more than a ruthless businessman, but he had obviously been taught well when it came to fighting. 

She knew that Steve needed this thing to be over, that just putting Wo Fat in jail might not be enough for him. She could understand that and she respected it. The entire team would back him up if this fight ended in Wo Fat’s death, and Kono knew that they would all sleep easier knowing that he couldn’t ever escape or come after them again. 

Wo Fat’s fighting capabilities aside, he didn’t have the motivation that Steve did, and he started to lose ground. He was bleeding from multiple cuts on his face and he was looking tired. Steve just looked angry and determined and he didn’t show any signs of mercy. The bastard didn’t deserve such a thing anyway. 

He threw out a last ditch kick at Steve’s shins. It looked desperate and pathetic, but Kono realized half a second later that it wasn’t either of those things. It was a calculated move that brought him closer to Steve, and the knife that suddenly appeared in his right hand glinted in the morning sunlight.

Her movements were so smooth and automatic that Kono didn’t even feel herself raise her gun. She barely felt the kickback when she pulled the trigger three times and it wasn’t until Wo Fat fell backwards, blood staining his white shirt, that she realized she had shot him. Each bullet hit home and he started breathing blood almost immediately. 

Steve stared down at him in disbelief, breathing heavily, hands shaking.

“Kono...”

“I’ll call for a bus,” she said numbly.

Even as she was pulling out her phone, though, Wo Fat was pulling at Steve, trying to bring him closer. Whatever his deathbed words were going to be, he never got to say them. His eyes froze as they stared upward.

Kono swallowed roughly. She knew that she had done the right thing, that there was a good chance it would be her boss lying there if she hadn’t shot Wo Fat. But at the same time, she knew she had taken away his chance at vengeance. 

“I’m sorry, boss,” she murmured, unable to look at him.

Steve looked up at her, confusion still marring his features. He had been kneeling next to Wo Fat’s body, but now he pushed himself back up and moved closer to her.

“For what?”

She nodded at the man she had killed. “I’m sure you’d rather have taken care of it.”

“I didn’t need to kill him, Kono,” he said gently. “I just needed it over.” He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. “You saved my life.”

She breathed easier at his words, letting herself lean into him. “What about Liz?” she asked.

The smile that tugged at his lips told her everything she needed to know. “Turns out I’m surrounded by women who can take care of themselves.” They heard movement in the trees and Danny’s voice coming closer to them. Steve kissed her temple. “I’m serious, Kono. Thank you.”

And as Liz appeared behind Chin and Danny, Steve moved right over to her, wrapping his arms around her. Kono watched them with a smile of her own even as Danny came over, hugging her, asking if she was alright.

“I’m fine, Danny,” she replied honestly. She reached out and squeezed his hand. “I’m fine.”


	13. Chapter 13

Steve had known that there wasn’t going to be any sleep that night. It didn’t matter that he had already been up for more than a day and a half. It didn’t matter that they had found Liz and she was sleeping safely upstairs. It didn’t matter that the man who had been responsible for the deaths of his parents was now dead himself. No matter which way the day had played out, unless he was dead, Steve was going to be awake. 

He was used to his mind refusing to shut down. It was a common occurrence after missions, and he found that the same was true after difficult cases. Sometimes he stayed awake just to avoid the nightmares. That night, it was a mixture. He knew that closing his eyes would only make him live out all the ways the day _could_ have gone. He knew that he’d have to watch Liz die over and over again in a thousand different ways. He knew that he’d have to watch Wo Fat survive and escape, only to kill other people that Steve loved. It was better for him to get no sleep at all then to put himself through the emotional trauma. 

Being awake didn’t keep him from seeing things, but at least the visions stuck to the truth of what had happened. He knew he shouldn’t be surprised, but he was still awed by the strength he had seen Liz display. It was obvious what was going on when he and Danny had found her in that room. That man - Davis Wenchley, not that it mattered - had been trying to rape her and Liz had been fighting him off as best she could in the limited space that she had. She didn’t let the enormity of that get to her, though. Once Steve had shot him, she had the presence of mind not only to keep him from setting off the charges, but to figure out her own escape route and execute it. She had been downright amazing. 

Steve couldn’t help but think that he hadn’t done much in the rescuing department. In the end, he wasn’t even the one to put Wo Fat down. He had been honest with Kono; he would have loved to have been the one to close that chapter of his life, but he didn’t begrudge his rookie. She had done exactly what needed to be done without worrying about her boss’ ego or pride. And she had put herself at a huge risk by following Wo Fat on her own and engaging him in hand-to-hand combat. He honestly couldn’t be more proud of her. 

His people were safe and Wo Fat was dead and Steve still couldn’t shake the guilt. Letting out a long sigh, he leaned back against the cushions of the couch. It was undeniable that Wo Fat had taken Liz to get to him. He must have been following them for God knows how long, putting together the best way to hurt Steve. He hated himself for thinking it, but he couldn’t help but be thankful that it had only been Liz. Wo Fat could have destroyed him by taking the others as well, or by going after Grace. Instead, he had put all of his eggs in one basket. 

Steve had to admit it had been a good bet on Wo Fat’s part. 

He hadn’t meant to admit to Danny how he felt about Liz, but he didn’t see the point in ignoring it in his own mind anymore. If he was honest about it, his feelings for Liz had been there for a long time. A part of him wondered if maybe they hadn’t been there from the very beginning. He could at least admit that he had loved her long before she had come to Hawaii, and her proximity had only made him fall deeper. Maybe he had just always assumed she would end up with John. Maybe he had told himself he didn’t deserve something that could be that good and that permanent.

He wondered if time had really changed that much. John was no longer a possible future for Liz, but Steve wasn’t sure he was the right guy to take that place, either. He wasn’t safe. Wo Fat had targeted her because of her relationship with him and she had nearly been raped and killed. The only reason the team had gotten there in time was because Wo Fat had led them right to the building he was keeping her in. And he hadn’t saved Liz - she had saved herself. 

Despite all that, she had hugged him tightly once she was safe. She had held his hand while the doctors looked her over and on the ride back to the house. She had met his gaze every time he looked at her, and he had never once seen blame there. Maybe this was his chance to be something better. Maybe Liz could be the start. 

Sighing aloud again, he settled deeper into the couch, his mind still a battle zone of thoughts and fears. It would be a while before sleep was his friend again.

* * *

“You look well-rested,” he commented as he came into the kitchen.

Liz nodded as she dried the last of her breakfast dishes. “I am, actually. I had trouble falling asleep for awhile last night, but once I did...I slept like a rock.”

“And slept in. Danno would be proud.”

“And we all know how much my existence hinges on his approval.” Her smile faded slightly and she leaned back against the counter, drying her hands. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“Okay.”

“You’re not going to like it.”

Steve crossed his arms and his face went blank. “Okay.”

Liz wished he wouldn’t do that every time a difficult conversation came up, but at the same time, she couldn’t exactly blame him. She took a deep breath.

“I think I should get my own place.”

Steve’s expression only changed for half a heartbeat, but in that moment, he looked like he’d been slapped across the face. Liz held up a hand, hoping to stave off the questions.

“I just need some space,” she said quietly. “Some time. I...I need to be on my own for a little bit, okay?”

“Are you...” He swallowed and started again. “Are you asking me to leave you alone?”

“Just for now,” she said, hoping that he would understand. Stepping forward, she slowly reached out and placed her hand on his arm. “I’m not calling off our friendship, Steve. Okay? This is temporary.”

He wasn’t meeting her eyes anymore. “You need space.”

Liz nodded. “Yeah.”

He nodded as well, struggling to give her a small smile. “I get that.”

* * *

“ _You get that?_ ” Danny exclaimed, eyes almost popping out of his head as Steve relayed the story to him. 

“Yeah, Danny, I get that. I almost got her killed, remember? I can’t exactly hold it against her that she doesn’t want to be around me right now!”

“So that’s what this is? You feel guilty and you feel like you deserve this, so you’re just gonna let the woman you love walk out of your life? That is such utter and complete bullshit, McGarrett!”

“And what am I supposed to do instead, Danny?” Steve shot back, his voice just as loud as his partner’s now. “Tell her that no, she can’t have some space to deal with shit? Tell her that I love her, and hey, yeah, my mortal enemy kidnapped her, but can we still go out to dinner? She wants space and I’m gonna give it to her! It’s the only thing I _can_ do!”

Danny deflated and sat down on the couch in Steve’s office. “I know.”

Steve paused, caught off-guard by the sudden lack of yelling. “You know?”

“Yeah, you big buffoon, I know. I just don’t like it, okay? I know how happy she makes you and the two of you are good together, you know? But you’re right...she says she needs time away and you’ve gotta give her that.”

Steve walked over and sat next to him, dragging a hand down his face. “Let’s just talk about something else, okay?”

“Like what? I don’t know about you, but the only big thing that’s happened to me lately is off the table for discussion. Which I totally understand by the way...” 

Danny trailed off and Steve frowned at him. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Yeah, right. Come on, Danny.”

He shook his head. “Nope. Just got distracted. I’m back.”

Steve’s eyes narrowed. “Something else big has happened to you.”

“Nope.”

“What is it, Danny?”

“What is with the interrogation? What, a manhunt, an explosion, and your arch-nemesis finally biting the big one isn’t enough for you? I gotta say, Steve, that says something about you.”

“Yeah, and your rambling says something about you. You’re deflecting, Danno.”

“I am doing nothing of the sort, Steven. I am merely -”

“Danny, come on!”

“Why is this so important to you, huh? Why do you have to push about everything? I drifted into space for a moment, okay? It happens when you’ve only got four hours of sleep in three days. At least it happens to us mere mortals. I understand that you can go days upon days without sleep but cut the rest of us some slack!”

“I’ll cut you some slack when you start talking.”

“Talking? I’ve been doing nothing BUT talking! Something, I’d like to remind you, that you like harp on me for on a daily basis. What, this isn’t enough talking for you?”

“You’re not talking, you’re babbling!”

“I do not babble! I have never babbled! My ranting ALWAYS has a purpose -”

“Yeah, in this case to throw me off your trail! But I’m not so easily mislead.”

“You are like a freakishly large dog with a bone. Except that this bone is imaginary -”

“And yet you’re digging a hole to hide it.”

Danny jumped to his feet suddenly, hands waving. “Oh my God! Fine! I kissed someone, okay? Maybe someone I shouldn’t have! And yet it keeps happening. There! Are you happy now?”

Steve’s eyes widened as he leaned back. “If she makes _you_ happy, Danno, then I’m happy.”

Danny ran a hand down his tie. “Yeah, well...you might not be too happy once you find out who it is.”

He frowned. “Is it my sister?”

“No.”

“Then I think we’ll be okay.” Steve paused. “Actually, I might not even object if it was Mary. You two might be good for each other.”

Danny scowled. “It is not Mary, you lunatic. It’s Kono.”

Steve’s eyes widened even more and he froze. “What?”

“You heard me, Steven. Do not make me repeat it.”

“You kissed Kono.”

“Yes.”

“And she kissed you back?”

“Yes.”

“Seriously?”

“What do you mean? Of course, seriously! Is it so difficult to believe that a woman might be enticed by me? Or are you convinced that they all secretly want you?”

Steve let that slide. “So the two of you kissed. And you mentioned that it keeps happening.”

Danny shifted uncomfortably and made a vague gesture. “I maybe should have kept that part to myself.”

“So what is this?” Steve asked slowly. “Just two friends blowing off steam?”

“I, uh...I don’t know. She and I haven’t exactly talked about it.”

“I’m asking what it means to you, Danny.”

Steve’s voice was low and dangerous, and Danny knew that he meant it. Whatever he said here, it had to be the truth, and if Steve didn’t like what he heard, things could turn nasty pretty quickly.

“I have to be honest, Steve...I like her. I like her a lot. She’s an amazing woman.” He chuckled. “And you should see her with Grace, man...I mean, they totally gang up on me every chance they get, but they’re good together. Gracie really likes her. Trusts her. And Kono watchful and fun and she listens to everything my Monkey says...”

“You want this to be a thing,” Steve interrupted. “You want to be with Kono.”

Danny shrugged. “I was never good at casual. I don’t really see any reason to start trying now.”

Steve grinned suddenly, pushing himself to his feet and walking over to clap his friend on the shoulder. “And that is probably the only thing that is going to save you from Chin’s wrath.”

“Please do not mention Chin. I have been trying to avoid that particular train of thought since this whole thing began.”

Leaning back against his desk, Steve crossed his arms over his chest. “When _did_ this whole thing start, by the way?”

Danny waved a hand. “A few weeks ago.”

Steve’s eyebrows shot up. “Weeks?”

“I was going to get around to telling you.”

“When?”

“When it seemed like the right time, okay? Maybe after I figured out just what the hell this thing is supposed to be!”

“Danny...don’t wait next time, man. I’m your friend. I’m here to _help_ you figure things out.”

“Okay, well now you can help me figure out how I tell Kono that this can’t be a casual thing.”

“You think she’ll have a problem with it?”

Danny hesitated. “I think I’ve got a lot of baggage, okay? Kono is young and she is gorgeous and she has absolutely everything in the world going for her. I am older, I am jaded, I am a pain in the ass - do not laugh at that, Steven, no one asked you - and I have a daughter and an ex-wife. She deserves more than that, you know?”

Steve stared at his friend, seeing past the bluster and the noise to the self-esteem issues most people probably didn’t even realize he had. Danny had baggage, sure. But he was a good man - one of the best Steve had ever had the honor of knowing. If Kono didn’t want him, she was a damn fool, and he’d have no trouble telling her as much.

“She deserves to be happy, Danny. And she’s a perceptive woman. I don’t think she’d let this keep happening if she didn’t want it to go somewhere. She knows how much it means to you to let someone into Grace’s life. You don’t take it lightly and neither do any of us.”

“So, uh...you’re saying I should talk to her then, huh?”

Steve nodded. “I think you can trust her with it.”

Danny gave him a hopeful smile even as he glared at him. “You know this is real rich coming from you.”

“Yeah, but we’re talking about you now.”

“Only temporarily, my friend. Only temporarily.”

Steve knew that Danny meant that; he also knew that it meant he was going to let the thing with Liz go for now. Steve was painfully thankful for that. He understood why she needed this, but for the first time in his life, he actually wanted to tell someone how he felt about them. The fact that he couldn’t do that cut deeply. Come hell or high water, though, he was going to give her what she needed. He owed her that much. He’d just have to push everything else away and focus on the job.

It wouldn’t be the first time.


	14. Chapter 14

Steve couldn’t believe just how empty the house felt. It was ridiculous, really. He’d spent most of his adult life without a place to really call “home,” and he hadn’t had a family to truly get attached to. He was used to house being empty.

Except for the part where he wasn’t anymore. 

At first he just tried to endure the quiet. He got back into his old routine, erasing all those parts that Liz had added. He woke up early. He ran. He swam. He worked late. He took three-minute showers and cooked healthy food and slept for about four hours a night. On days he didn’t have to work, he took to the garage, puttering around with his dad’s car. 

Except that he missed her bringing him a cold beer and laughing at the grease he had smeared across his forehead. 

Eventually he ignored the car and just called Danny. It seemed inevitable, anyway.

“This has got to stop, Steven,” he said as soon as he walked into the house - without knocking, of course. “It’s been almost three weeks. You have to call her.”

Steve shook his head. “Not gonna happen.”

“Please tell me this isn’t about your pride,” he begged. “Just...please. Reassure me that this isn’t about that.”

“You know it’s not,” Steve replied, shutting the fridge with a little more force than he needed to. “She asked me, Danny. She asked me for this. I promised her that I would respect her wishes.”

“Yeah, but if she knew how much this was killing you...”

“She’d what? Take pity on me? She doesn’t owe me anything.”

“That doesn’t mean anything between friends. Just call her.”

“No.”

“You’re determined to be a miserable bastard on this one, aren’t you?”

Steve just glared.

* * *

Danny leaned against the car as Steve shoved the suspect into the backseat. Sighing, the blond detective ran a hand back over his hair in an attempt to contain it. The winds on the mountain had been strong, though, and he figured it was pretty much a lost cause at this point. 

“Steven, I think we need to review the whole concept of backup again.”

“What part of ‘you’re the backup’ do you not get, Danno?”

Danny held up a finger. “The first thing we will go over is the definition of the term. Then we will discuss why, exactly, I do not count as adequate backup for certain situations.”

“Sounds like you’re insulting your capabilities as a cop.”

“I am doing no such thing. I am simply trying to make it more difficult for the bad guys to kill us. You should try it sometime.”

Steve chuckled and leaned back next to him. “I think I make it plenty hard, Danno. None of them has succeeded yet, have they?”

“Not for lack of trying,” Danny muttered. He cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get this guy down to HPD so I can go home.”

“What’s the rush? You got a hot date?”

He let out a long breath. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

Steve looked over in surprise. “You finally talked to Kono?”

“I did indeed. And for reasons I don’t really understand, she agreed to have dinner with me.”

His friend clapped him on the back. “That’s great, Danny! I told you -”

“Just you hold that thought, mister. We haven’t had the conversation yet, alright? I am going to bring it up at dinner so that we can figure this thing out and then maybe get back to the kissing.” He paused. “I really like the kissing.”

“Is that all you like?”

“Steven, I am not giving you the intimate details of my love life, especially not when they involve Kono.” He rolled his shoulders again. “Though, for your information, we haven’t gotten much past the kissing yet.”

Steve nodded. “Probably a good idea, since you don’t do casual.”

“My thoughts exactly.” His gaze hovered on the other man. “How are you?”

Steve shrugged. “I’m fine.” He pushed away from the car and headed for the driver’s seat. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

“Steve, stop!” By some kind of miracle, he did, and Danny didn’t hesitate to continue. “I’ve shared with you about my personal life. It’s only polite for you to do the same in return.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Bullshit.”

“What do you want me to say here, Danny?” he suddenly snapped.

“Something! Anything! For once, I would just like to know what is going on inside that head of yours!” He took a deep breath. “I seem to recall you telling me something about friends. They’re here to help you figure things out - you don’t have to do that on your own.”

Steve’s jaw clenched and he turned his head to look out over the view. “It’s been two weeks, Danny. I haven’t heard from her. Not even once. Not even just to let me know she’s okay. I...I don’t know if she’s ever gonna pick up the phone.” He shrugged. “Maybe she shouldn’t. Maybe she’s better off without me.”

“Don’t do that, Steve. You know that’s not true.”

“No, I don’t. She never would have been kidnapped if she hadn’t been a part of my life.”

“You can’t say that! She used to be a negotiator, didn’t she? Stuff like this has probably always been on her radar. This is not your fault!”

“She thinks it is. And I can’t blame her, Danny.”

His friend sighed. “Just don’t give up on her, okay? She said she wasn’t walking away for good. Just give her some more time.”

Steve sighed. “Not like I can do anything else, right? Come on, Danno,” he said, sounding exhausted. “Let’s get you home for your date.”

Part of Danny wanted to keep pushing, but he also knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere. The ball was in Liz’s court now, and they had to wait on her. He just wasn’t sure how much Steve could take.

Sighing once again, he climbed into the passenger’s seat.


	15. Chapter 15

Danny was a fan of the personal pep talk. Despite the twenty-three he’d already given himself before even picking Kono up, though, he wasn’t feeling any better. He could admit that sometimes he had a tendency to lean towards the negative, to expect the worst out of a situation. And his mind had gone to town with this one. He could honestly say that he had played out just about every way this dinner could go down, and the unpleasant definitely outweighed the pleasant.   

Seeing Kono look gorgeous in her little red dress didn’t really do much to calm him down, either.   

“God, you’re beautiful,” he murmured, unable to do much more than stare at her.   

Biting her bottom lip, Kono smiled at him as she stepped closer and kissed him softly. “Breathe, Danny,” she said quietly. “I could hear you having a panic attack as you pulled into the driveway.”  

“I am not panicking. I am simply prepared to begin panicking should the situation arise.”  

Something in her eyes went a little sad. “We don’t have to do this, you know.”  

The panic attack was hovering, and the edges of his vision threatened to go black. “I would very much like to take you out to dinner. Please...just give this a chance, okay?”  

“You don’t need a chance, Danny. You’ve already got me. I just...I don’t want to put any pressure on you. If you need this to not be a thing...”  

“It already is a thing,” he interrupted, secretly glad that they were getting this conversation out of the way now. “And I want it to be a thing. You are already a part of my life, Kono. And you are a part of Grace’s. And I would just like you...I want you to be a more permanent part of it.” Danny hesitated, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “I know I don’t have much to offer,” he said, his voice lower, “but -”

  Her mouth was on his and he suddenly didn’t really give a damn what he had been trying to say. There was a desperation to the kiss, but it wasn’t frantic. It felt like she just needed to touch him, needed him to know...

  “Let’s just skip the rest of the awkward conversation,” Kono whispered, her mouth still close enough that it brushed up against his own, “and admit that this is a pretty serious thing and that we’re both okay with that?”  

Danny nodded. “Let it be known that sometimes I can indeed choose the path that involves less talking.”  

She smirked. “And yet you used at least six more words to say that than you needed.” She kissed him again. “Let’s go to dinner, okay? Before I drag you in here and have my wicked way with you.”  

His throat went dry. “I, uh...I am actually good with either one of those scenarios,” he managed to get out. “Lady’s choice.”  

Her eyes roved over him from head to toe, and Danny felt himself go hot all over. He had to force himself to keep his hands still on her waist instead of dragging her against him and then pinning her to the door behind her. The image wouldn’t leave his head, though, and he had a very vivid imagination...  

“Dinner first,” she said after a moment. Though his body was disappointed, Danny couldn’t honestly say that he didn’t agree with her. “But then you’re mine, okay?”

  “Trust me, there are no arguments on that point.”  

Kono grinned. “Good. Because I fully intend on having my wicked way with you. Possibly for the entire weekend.”  

Danny’s eyes almost rolled into the back of his head.  

* * *

  

“Dammit,” Danny said halfway through dinner.   

He’d been talking about nothing except Steve for the past ten minutes, and he had a gorgeous woman sitting across from him. A woman that had admitted she wanted to start something serious with him despite his baggage. A woman he was crazy about. And yet he’d been talking about his partner instead of focusing on her.   He really was an idiot.  

Kono just shook her head and smiled, though, reaching over to place her hand on top of his. “I get it,” she said. “None of us likes seeing the boss like this. And he’s your best friend. It makes sense that you’d be upset about this.”  

Danny sighed. “He loves her, and I’m pretty sure she loves him back. I know asking her to forgive the whole Wo Fat thing is a lot, but -”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Kono said, cutting him off. “Forgive who?”  

“Steve.”  

“I don’t think this is about forgiving him.”  

Danny frowned. “She said she needed space. Time away from him. She moved out!”  

“Yeah...” Kono said slowly. “Danny...she was kidnapped. You said you walked in on a guy trying to force himself on her. She had to face down a sadistic psycho that wanted to cause Steve as much pain as physically and emotionally possible before killing him. That’s a lot to deal with. Give the woman some time to figure shit out.”  

“She could have figured things out with Steve. They could have helped each other through this. Instead, she moved out and cut off communication with him. I don’t like to admit it, but I gotta agree with Steve. She blames him for what happened to her. And I’m not saying that I don’t understand that, but if these two crazy kids don’t work it out, our jobs are going to miserable from here on out.”  

Kono shook her head, giving him an indulgent smile. “You’re so cute when you think you’re right. Trust me...Liz isn’t going anywhere, and she doesn’t blame him.”  

“Yeah, we’ll see who’s right.”  

“Yes, we will. And then you can make it up to me for arguing when you were obviously wrong.”

  “Have you always been this difficult, Kalakaua?”  

She nodded. “It turns you on and you know it.”  

Danny grinned. “A lot of things about you turn me on, babe. And I am fully prepared to begin going over them with you in detail once we’re out of here.”  

Her gaze was hot. “You better not be all talk, Williams.”  

His finger slipped around to trace a line across the pulse point in her wrist. “I’m not.”  

He nearly swallowed his tongue when he felt her bare foot creeping up the inside of his thigh. 

“That’s reassuring to hear. I’m a big fan of show over tell, though.”  

Letting out a heavy sigh, Danny signaled to the waiter. “My God, you’re a wicked woman.”  

“You love it.”  

He caught her foot under the table and pulled it into his lap, gently massaging the bottom, watching the way her breathing hitched and her eyelids fluttered.

 “Ready to get out of here?” he said, his voice low and expectant.

  Kono just nodded.


	16. Chapter 16

Danny watched his partner drive. He was usually cautious about the way Steve handled a vehicle, but right now it seemed excessively important. Mostly because Steve’s jaw was clenched and his hands were gripping the wheel like they did whenever they were about to do something ridiculous - like drive onto a Chinese freighter. His eyes were like lasers, and though they were focused on the road, Danny wondered how much they were actually seeing.

He inwardly sighed. He had been in high spirits since spending an entire bed in weekend with Kono

“You know,” he said cautiously, “we could talk about this.”

“Nothing to talk about.”

“I’m going to quietly point out that that is absolute bullshit.”

Steve snorted. “Quietly? Since when have you ever done anything quietly?”

“Since right now. Since you look like you could go start an international incident any second. Don’t ever let it be said that Danny Williams can’t be accommodating to the situation.”

“I’m -

“Do not. Do not finish that sentence with the f-word, my friend. We both know that it’s a lie and I am not in the mood.”

Somehow, Steve’s body seemed to tense even more. “She’s leaving, Danny.”

“You don’t know that.”

“You heard what Kamekona said. They offered her a job back on the mainland.”

“Yes. They _offered_. There was nothing about her _taking_ it.”

“Why wouldn’t she?”

“Why _would_ she?” Danny countered. “She moved _here_ , Steven. This is where she’s made her home. You told me she doesn’t have family anymore. John is gone. Which means she has no reason to go running back to the mainland.”

Steve paused. “She’d be clear of me,” he murmured.

Danny grimaced. “Alright, McGarrett. That’s enough. I am done with this pity party bullshit. Yes, Wo Fat took her. Yes, he did it because he wanted to hurt you and he somehow found out that she was his ticket. Yes, it was horrible and scary and I’m sure she’s a little bit traumatized from it. _That does not mean that it was your fault_. It doesn’t mean that she blames you. What it means is that she needed some time. Possibly to get her head screwed back on straight. Not all of us are super soldiers like you who can just lock our emotions away in this tight little box that never sees the light of day. Some of have to deal with the fact that we hurt and maybe she wanted a little privacy in which to do that.” He took a breath. “You seem to forget that I know this woman. And I don’t think she’s a runner, Steve. I don’t think she’d pull up stakes again just to get off this island and away from you. And I think you’re doing a disservice to her by assuming that she would.”

Part of him expected Steve to yell back at him, but at the same time, Danny wasn’t entirely surprised when he didn’t say anything at all. That was the scary part. Since Liz had come to Hawaii, they had all gotten to see a side of Steve that had been rare before. He laughed more freely, and even used feeling words once in awhile. In the past couple of weeks, though...he had started to bottle it all up again. 

Danny prayed to God and anyone else that would listen that Liz would come around soon.

* * *

Danny rubbed his hands across his face. His head was starting to pound, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to punch Steve or give the guy a big hug. As soon as he figured it out, though, he was going to go with it. Sighing, he reached over and picked up his phone, hesitating slightly before choosing the name out of his list of contacts. 

She answered on the second ring, and didn't even give him a chance to say anything.

"Danny? Is he alright? What happened?"

Even though she couldn't see him, Danny held up one hand against the barrage of questions. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. He is fine. Nothing happened. It has been a suspiciously quiet week where none of us have gotten run off the road or shot at. Personally, it frightens me. Don't tell him that, though."

Liz's sigh was loud and long. "You scared the living daylights out of me."

"Yeah, well...consider it fair turnabout."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I've had to put up with this pathetic excuse for a human being ever since you moved out and stopped talking to him! And let me tell you, Liz...it has NOT been an easy endeavor!"

"Danny..."

"You had better be about to tell me that your self-imposed exile is over."

She chuckled. "I am, actually."

"Wait, what?"

"I was going to call you later and see if maybe we could all hang out. I know I disappeared and that it was my choice, but I miss you. All of you."

"So you're not mad at him anymore?"

"Mad at him? No, of course not! Why-" She paused, and Danny thought he heard a muttered curse under her breath. "Steve thinks I blame him."

"Well, yeah. You know him and his guilt complex. He thinks the whole Wo Fat thing was his fault. I mean, he understands why you won't talk to him -"

"No, Danny, he doesn't. I never blamed him. Not even a little."

"Then why the disappearing act? The last four weeks have been killing him - and by extension, us."

"Danny..." Liz paused again, and when she started talking again, her voice was lower. "You know what happened to me. What _almost_ happened to me. I just...I needed some time to work through it. To make sure...to make sure that I was still _me_."

He shifted in his chair slightly. Kono had suggested that very thing to him, but he had waved her off. The fact that she had been right was going to make her even more intolerable than she was already was. 

"He needs to hear that," he said, bringing his focus back to the conversation at hand. "He heard about that job offer you got back on the mainland."

"How? Nevermind. Kamekona spilled the beans, didn't he?"

"The man never claimed to be able to keep a secret."

"I'm not taking the job, Danny. I've already turned them down twice. This is home."

"Again, that's something you should be saying to Steve."

He heard a car door shut in the background. "I'm already at your office. I take it you guys are still there?"

Danny was out of his chair in a flash, heading for the door. "I'll meet you downstairs."

He felt his partner's eyes on the back of his head as he moved down the hallway toward the stairs, but Danny didn't turn around. Liz was waiting for him when he got to the front lobby and he gave her a big smile before wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly. 

"You have been sorely missed, Dr. Weir," he said once they had pulled back. "And not just because Steve has been ridiculous in your absence."

"I'm sorry I caused so much trouble. Is he here?"

"Of course he's here," Danny replied, turning to lead her back up the stairs. "Without you, he has no life."

"Now I know that's a lie. Whenever he's not with me he's with you or the team."

"It doesn't count if he's sulking."

They fell silent as they reached 5-0's floor. Danny pointed to Steve's office and then squeezed her shoulder in encouragement before disappearing back into his office. He might have wanted to be a fly on the wall for their conversation, but he knew they needed time alone first. 

Liz continued toward Steve's office, hesitating slightly when she saw Kono standing in the doorway. When the younger woman caught sight of her, though, she gave her a warm and easy smile.

"Hey," she greeted, giving her a hug just like Danny had. "Long time no see."

Liz forced herself to keep her attention on Kono instead of looking at Steve's shocked face as he watched them from behind his desk. "I know. Sorry about that."

Kono shook her head. "No worries. I understood, even if the guys weren't quite so smart." She tilted her head towards Steve. "So does this mean the boss can stop pouting now?"

"Danny said he was sulking."

Steve's face took on an injured expression. "Hey!"

Kono shrugged. "Equal parts, really. We were actually gonna try and make him cook us dinner tonight, but if you guys need some time..."

"Is there any chance I could join you all?"

"I've got no problem with it." She turned to Steve. "That okay with you, boss?"

Steve looked like he hadn't quite caught up with the conversation yet. "What? Yeah, of course you can come, Liz. If...Are you sure you want to?"

She gave him a smile. "Trust me. I've had more than enough alone time."

Kono touched her elbow. "The rest of us will meet you guys at Steve's. Say...in an hour?"

"Works for me."

Kono smiled again and then left. Liz watched her head straight for Danny's door and disappear inside, chuckling quietly to herself. Those two were quite a pair.

"Did the two of you just make plans at my house without me?"

She turned back to Steve, stepping completely inside and shutting the door behind her. "We did invite you." She stood across the desk from him, hands clasped in front of her as she looked at him intently. "You look good."

Steve didn't seem to know where to put his hands and eventually ended up crossing them over his chest. "So do you. I, uh...I've missed you."

"Me too." Liz took a deep breath. "Steve, I'm sorry -"

He was already shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. I get it -"

"No, you don't -"

"I do," he insisted. "And it's okay. I just...I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry that he went after you. I'm sorry that it took me so long to find you, that you had to -"

"One day," she said quietly, walking slowly around the desk. "It only took you one day to find me."

"That was only because Wo Fat wanted me to know where you were."

"It doesn't matter. You came looking for me and you found me."

"I almost got you killed," Steve spat out, and Liz could see the conviction behind his words in his eyes. 

"I never blamed you."

Steve lowered his arms, placing his hands on his hips. "You asked me to leave you alone."

Liz felt her eyes filling with tears. "Yes. But not because I blamed you -"

"But it was because of me, right?"

"Steve -"

"Right?"

"Yes, but -" Steve turned away and she felt her chest ache. Stepping forward, Liz took a hold of his arm and turned him back around, her hands coming up to cradle his face. "I never blamed you, Steve. I swear to you. I was never mad at you. I had something I needed to figure out, and I couldn't do that being around you."

"I..." He swallowed, visibly trying to pull himself back under control. "What did you need to figure out?"

She gave him a gentle smile, rubbing her thumbs across his skin. “You.”

Steve frowned. “What?”

Liz shook her head. “You’re a lot like him, you know. John.” His frown deepened, but he didn’t say anything and she continued. “I loved him. But because I was too afraid and too wrapped up in my career, I never told him. When Wo Fat took me...I kept thinking back to all of the times that John had saved me, and I knew that you would, too. Because the two of you are cut from the same cloth. I’ve been more blessed than most people, to have the two of you in my life. I realized in that moment that I’m in love with _you_.”

Steve’s eyes widened and she tightened her grip on his face, needing him to hear her out. 

“When you came for me, and you wrapped your arms around me...God, Steve...I could have stayed there forever. I felt like I had finally come home after drifting for so long. And that terrified me. It would have been so easy to just kiss you. I almost did. But we both deserve better than that. I knew that I needed to take a break from being around you so much. I needed to make sure that what I was feeling was real and not...not gratefulness for you saving me, or because I missed John, or...or anything else. I needed to know that I didn’t fall in love with you when you showed up in that room, Steve. I needed to realize that I fell in love with you somewhere else down the line. Because if it was anything less than that...well, like I said. We both deserve better.”

During her speech, he had gone completely still. He swallowed a couple of times, his breathing slightly ragged. Liz wondered if he would have run by now if she wasn’t holding him there.

“What...” He cleared his throat. “What did you decide?”

Instead of answering him, Liz leaned up and in and pressed her lips softly to his. She didn’t take it any farther, and when Steve didn’t respond at all, she pulled back and just looked at him. The nerves in her stomach were starting to sprout wings, but she made herself smile at him again, even as she let go of his face.

“Your turn,” she whispered.

She had expected him to just stare at her some more, but Steve was already moving, his hands framing her face as he brought their mouths back together. Liz gasped slightly at the unexpected gesture and he took full advantage of that, slipping his tongue inside to meet her own. Her hands found their way to his waist and she stepped closer until there wasn’t any space between them, enjoying the fact that none of this felt weird. She may have hated the cliches, but it just felt right, and that was more than enough for her. 

When they eventually pulled away, Steve pressed his forehead to the side of her face, unwilling put any distance between them.

“I couldn’t even admit it to Danny until you were gone,” he said quietly. “I was going to tell you then, but...”

“But I pushed you away,” she finished, raising one hand lightly scratch at the back of his neck. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I get it now.” He pulled his head back to look at her. “You really don’t blame me? For what happened with Wo Fat?”

“I don’t believe in blaming good men for the actions of sociopaths,” she said firmly. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You kept your people safe, you rescued me, and you put an end to him. You did everything you were supposed to do.”

“Well...Kono put an end to him.”

Liz smirked. “She’s a very capable young woman. Danny is going to have his hands full.”

Steve shrugged. “I think he actually likes it that way.”

“Obviously. He puts up with you, doesn’t he?”

He gave her a wounded look. “So this is how it’s gonna be, huh?”

Liz grinned and kissed him again. “This is exactly how it’s going to be.”

Steve returned her smile and her kiss. “Good,” he murmured.


End file.
